UV Printing Apparatus Oblique Curing Nozzle Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In ultraviolet-curable printing apparatuses, temporary curing units often cause ink discharge failures due to direct UV irradiation, leading to reduced image quality and increased maintenance needs, necessitating a solution to improve image quality while minimizing temporary curing.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a surface treatment unit that modifies the printing medium's surface state, a head for discharging ultraviolet-curable ink, and an ultraviolet irradiation unit for curing, along with a control unit that adjusts the surface treatment output based on stored relationships to optimize image quality and reduce temporary curing requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a temporary curing unit is formed in the vicinity of the head to temporarily cure the ink, then the image quality is improved, but the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the temporary curing unit reach the head to cure the ink in the nozzles, leading to discharge failure of the ink
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the temporary curing function from the vicinity of the head and relocates it to an upstream position where the temporary curing unit irradiates ultraviolet rays at an oblique angle, preventing direct exposure of the head nozzles to curing rays while still achieving temporary curing of the ink for improved image quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reflective plate as an intermediary element that redirects ultraviolet rays from the temporary curing unit at an oblique angle, ensuring that the curing rays reach the ink for temporary curing while being blocked from directly irradiating the head nozzles, thus resolving the contradiction between image quality improvement and ink discharge reliability
2Manufacturing precision
If temporary curing is performed to improve image quality, then the image quality is improved, but the maintenance processing frequency increases due to ink discharge failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful direct irradiation effect from the temporary curing process by relocating the temporary curing unit upstream and using oblique angle irradiation, allowing temporary curing to be performed for image quality improvement without causing ink discharge failures that would require maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful direct UV irradiation into a beneficial oblique angle irradiation that achieves temporary curing for improved image quality while avoiding the harmful effect of curing ink in the nozzles, thereby eliminating the need for additional maintenance processing
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 enhances image quality by modifying the printing medium's surface state, allowing for improved ink adhesion and reduced temporary curing, thereby minimizing ink discharge failures and maintenance needs while maintaining high image quality.
Implementation Method 1
a surface treatment unit configured to modify, by varying an output therefrom, a surface state of the printing medium
Implementation Method 2
an ultraviolet irradiation unit configured to irradiate with an ultraviolet ray the printing medium on which the image is formed by the head, thereby curing the ink
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus is provided in which at least one type of a printing medium is usable, the printing apparatus including a surface treatment unit configured to modify, by varying an output therefrom, a surface state of the printing medium to a plurality of modified states, a head configured to discharge at least one type of an ink of ultraviolet-curable type onto the printing medium having the surface state modified by the surface treatment unit thereby forming an image, an ultraviolet irradiation unit configured to irradiate with an ultraviolet ray the printing medium on which the image is formed by the head, thereby curing the ink, a storage unit configured to store a relationship between the output from the surface treatment unit and the modified state, and a control unit configured to control the output from the surface treatment unit, based on the relationship stored in the storage unit.