Record Head Block Inspection for Continuous Printing Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In continuous paper recording, determining the ejection state of a record head to ensure reliability is challenging due to the difficulty in providing an inspection area on the media, leading to unavoidable downtime whenever recording corresponding to a predetermined distance is performed.
Innovation Solution
A recording apparatus with a record head that includes a drive control unit to vary driving timing for each block of record elements, a generation unit to create drive-recording data with an ejection inspection pattern, and an inspection unit to inspect the ejection state of record elements without driving other elements in the same block during inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If recording is stopped to perform ejection inspection of the record head, then the ejection state can be determined reliably, but downtime occurs and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating an ejection inspection pattern into the recording data in advance. The inspection pattern is embedded within the normal recording data stream, allowing the ejection state to be inspected during the recording process itself rather than requiring a separate inspection step. This resolves the contradiction by enabling reliability verification without stopping recording operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the ejection inspection function with the normal recording function. By combining the inspection pattern with recording data and using the same record head and media for both purposes, the system achieves dual functionality. The inspection occurs simultaneously with recording, eliminating downtime while maintaining reliability verification.
2Reliability
If an inspection area is provided on the media for ejection check, then the ejection state can be inspected, but the area for actual recording decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by making the recording media serve dual purposes: it functions both as the inspection medium for evaluating ejection state and as the recording medium for actual image output. The same media area is utilized for both inspection patterns and recording content, eliminating the need for separate inspection areas and maximizing the usable recording area.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection pattern is copied into the recording data stream, allowing the ejection inspection to occur on the actual recording media rather than requiring a separate test medium. This approach uses the recording media itself for inspection purposes, thereby preserving maximum recording area while enabling reliable ejection state determination.
3Speed
If all record elements are driven simultaneously for recording, then recording speed is high, but ejection inspection cannot be performed without interrupting recording
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the recording data into multiple blocks, with specific blocks containing ejection inspection patterns while others contain normal recording data. The record head processes these blocks sequentially, maintaining high recording speed through continuous operation while periodically inspecting ejection state by driving specific record elements based on the inspection patterns embedded in certain blocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by enabling both recording and inspection to occur during the same recording process without interruption. The record head continuously drives record elements through the recording data blocks, and the inspection function is activated seamlessly within this continuous operation by detecting the inspection patterns in specific blocks, thereby preserving both speed and inspection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A recording apparatus includes a record head having multiple record elements for ejecting a recording agent and recording an image on a record medium by driving the multiple record elements, a drive control unit driving the multiple record elements while the multiple record elements are divided into multiple blocks to vary driving timing for each block, a generation unit generating drive-recording data in which an ejection inspection pattern for inspecting ejection states of the record elements is reflected in recording data generated based on image data, and an inspection unit inspecting an ejection state of a record element to be inspected driven based on the ejection inspection pattern. The generation unit generates the drive-recording data so that the drive control unit does not drive a record element other than the record element to be inspected in a block that includes the record element to be inspected.