Reactive-Liquid Printhead Layout for Ink Mist Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing print apparatuses face issues with ink mist adhesion to the ejection surface due to reactive liquids, leading to defective ejections, and air suction mechanisms can contaminate the print medium or increase apparatus size and cost.
Innovation Solution
A print apparatus with a specific arrangement of print elements for reactive liquid and ink, controlled to limit the ratio of second ink ejections, and a scan unit to manage ink application, preventing mist adhesion and improving ejection efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If air suction mechanism is used to suppress mist adhesion, then mist adhesion is reduced, but apparatus size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the air suction mechanism from the printing system, replacing it with a chemical solution approach using reactive liquid and second ink to suppress mist adhesion without requiring additional mechanical components for mist removal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reactive liquid containing component (2) as an intermediary substance that reacts with the coloring material in the first ink to form a non-misting composition, thereby suppressing mist adhesion to the ejection surface without requiring mechanical intervention
2Manufacturing precision
If reactive liquid is ejected to suppress ink bleed, then ink bleed is reduced, but mist adhesion to ejection surface occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of reactive liquid ejection and mist suppression by combining the reactive liquid with a second ink that has lower reactivity, allowing the second ink to react with mist components and suppress adhesion while the reactive liquid component continues to prevent ink bleed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the ink system by introducing a second ink with specifically controlled reactivity parameters - lower than the first ink but sufficient to react with mist components, thereby altering the chemical behavior to suppress mist adhesion while maintaining ink bleed suppression
3Object-affected harmful factors
If second ink ejection ratio is increased to suppress mist, then mist adhesion is reduced, but print quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by limiting the second ink ejection to only those pixel positions where mist adhesion is likely to occur, rather than ejecting second ink across the entire print surface, thereby suppressing mist while maintaining print quality in non-problem areas
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by monitoring the ratio of second ink ejection pixels to total pixels and adjusting the ejection strategy accordingly, ensuring that the second ink is applied only to the extent necessary for mist suppression without compromising overall print quality
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 suppresses ink mist adhesion and defective ejections, enhancing print quality and reducing apparatus complexity and cost.
Implementation Method 1
a reactive liquid that suppresses ink bleed or beading by causing a phenomenon such as thickening by reacting with ink containing a coloring material
Data Source
AI summary
A print unit includes a reactive liquid element row in which a plurality of print elements are arrayed in a first direction, a first element row in which a plurality of print elements are arrayed in the first direction, and a second element row in which a plurality of print elements are arrayed in the first direction. The reactive liquid element row, the first element row, and the second element row are arrayed in this order in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A scan unit scans the print unit in the second direction. A print control unit controls a print operation by the print unit such that a ratio of the number of pixels permitted to eject the second ink to the number of pixels in a predetermined region on the print medium does not exceed a threshold.