Substrate Characterization via Laser and Diffuse Light Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial printing, the continuous nature of print cycles and stacked output make it difficult to manually check the quality of individual printed pieces, leading to potential errors and inefficiencies in quality control.
Innovation Solution
A print apparatus that combines a laser source and a diffuse light source with processing circuitry to detect and analyze both laser and diffuse light reflections from a printable medium, allowing for the determination of its characteristics, such as structural and color properties, enabling more accurate quality control and automated processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual quality checking is used, then quality control can be performed, but productivity decreases due to the continuous print cycle and stacked output making individual piece inspection impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an automated optical inspection system. The print apparatus incorporates an image capture device that automatically captures images of printed media during the printing process, and processing circuitry that automatically analyzes these images to detect print defects, thereby eliminating the need for manual quality checking while maintaining continuous production.
2Measurement precision
If a single light source is used for inspection, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision decreases because both structural and color properties cannot be accurately determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple light sources (laser light source and diffuse light source) within a single inspection system. The laser light source illuminates the printed media to enable detection of structural properties through reflected light patterns, while the diffuse light source illuminates the media to enable detection of color properties. The processing circuitry integrates information from both light sources to comprehensively determine substrate characteristics, achieving high measurement precision without requiring separate inspection systems.
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
This approach allows for improved substrate type recognition and automated quality control, reducing the risk of errors and improving the efficiency of print processes by accurately determining characteristics that would be harder to achieve with either light source alone.
Implementation Method 1
The laser source 4 may direct laser light onto a printable medium. The image capture device 8 may be operable i) to detect laser light reflected from the printable medium
Implementation Method 2
The diffuse light source 6 may direct diffuse light onto the printable medium. The image capture device 8 may be operable ii) to detect diffuse light reflected from the printable medium
Data Source
AI summary
A method is described in which a reflection is obtained of a laser light pattern reflected from a substrate. A reflection of diffuse light may be obtained from the substrate. A first parameter may be determined, relating to the substrate from the reflected laser light pattern. A second parameter may be determined, relating to the substrate from the reflected diffuse light and a characteristic of the substrate may be determined from the first and second parameters. A print apparatus and a machine-readable medium are also disclosed.