Textile Printing Apparatus Contact Unit for Fluff Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing textile printing apparatuses face adverse effects due to fluff and wrinkles in materials, which deteriorate printing conditions, and existing solutions only partially address the issue of removing unnecessary ink without improving the overall printing state.

Innovation Solution

A printing apparatus with a tray that supports the material and a contact unit that moves to contact the material before printing, capable of removing wrinkles, laying or removing fluff, and destaticizing, while including a cleaning unit to prevent reattachment of foreign substances and a sensor to detect obstacles, thereby improving the printing face state and suppressing harmful effects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If a fluff contact member is used to remove unnecessary UV curable ink after printing, then ink removal is improved, but the printing condition before printing is not improved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunnecessary UV curable ink removalVSAvoidprinting condition

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The contact unit is positioned to contact the material for textile printing before the printing unit performs printing, enabling preliminary removal of fluff and wrinkles before the printing process begins, thus improving printing conditions in advance rather than after

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If the contact unit contacts the material before printing, then the printing face state is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting face stateVSAvoidapparatus structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The contact unit serves multiple functions: it removes fluff, removes wrinkles, and destaticizes the material for textile printing, allowing a single device to address multiple printing condition issues without proportionally increasing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Device complexity

If the contact unit is fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to different printing positions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact unit structureVSAvoidprinting position adaptation

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The contact unit is configured to be movable along the movement direction of the tray, allowing it to adapt to different printing positions and material states while maintaining a relatively simple structural design through linear motion rather than complex mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9981483B2Printing apparatus

Publication Date: 2018.05.29 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

A printing apparatus includes a tray which supports a material for textile printing, and can move in a movement direction; a printing unit which performs printing on the material for textile printing supported by the tray; and a contact unit which is provided at a position of being in contact with the material for textile printing supported by the tray, before performing printing by the printing unit. By adopting the printing apparatus with such a configuration, it is possible to improve a printing condition when performing printing on the material for textile printing.