Image Recording Head Splice Detection and Retraction Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elongated strip-shaped recording media with splice parts pose a risk of contact with recording heads during printing, leading to potential ejection failures and malfunctions, and restarting printing after suspension can result in misregistration of image positions, necessitating re-adjustment of processing periods in post-processing machines.
Innovation Solution
An image recording apparatus that calculates a remaining job count and adjusts transport speed to suspend printing before the splice part reaches the recording head, then repositions the head to prevent contact, ensuring consistent image recording positions by restarting printing from a position integral to the printing period, thereby minimizing waste and maintaining image registration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If printing is suspended during passage of splice part to prevent contact with recording head, then contact between splice part and recording head is prevented, but image recording position misalignment occurs after restart
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the splice part before it reaches the recording head, and calculates the optimal suspension timing in advance. By detecting the splice part upstream and determining the exact moment to suspend printing, the system prevents contact while ensuring that printing can resume at the correct position without misalignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the splice part detection to dynamically adjust the printing suspension and resumption timing. The detection signal triggers a control response that suspends printing at the precise moment needed, and the system monitors the resumption to ensure proper alignment, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains both safety and precision.
2Reliability
If printing is suspended to avoid splice part contact, then recording head damage is prevented, but productivity decreases due to printing interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The system rapidly suspends printing upon detecting the splice part and quickly resumes printing after the splice part has passed. By minimizing the suspension duration and enabling fast resumption, the system rushes through the interruption period, thereby preventing head damage while reducing the impact on overall productivity.
3Reliability
If printing suspension timing is not precisely controlled, then splice part contact may occur, but precise control requires complex calculation of remaining job count and transport speed
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing transport mechanism and detection system to automatically determine suspension timing. By calculating the remaining job count and transport speed based on real-time parameters from the printing system itself, the control logic achieves precise timing without requiring external complex control systems, allowing the system to self-regulate the suspension decision.
Data Source
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AI summary
This image recording apparatus (1) includes recording heads (30) and a detector (40) for detecting a thick part of a recording medium (9). Before the thick part reaches a recording region (Rp), printing by means of the recording heads (30) is stopped, and the relative position of the recording heads (30) and the recording region (Rp) is switched to a retracted position in the image recording apparatus (1). After the thick part passes through the recording region (Rp), the relative position of the recording heads (30) and the recording region (Rp) is switched to a printing position, and the printing of a new unit image is started from a position an integral multiple of a printing period apart from a last start position. This restrains a difference between the periods of image recording positions before and after the suspension of a printing step while restraining contact between the recording heads (30) and the thick part.