Asymmetric Sliding Section for Bidirectional Lubrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Recording apparatuses face wear issues due to inadequate lubrication between the guide and sliding sections, particularly when the carriage moves in both directions, leading to potential wear of the guide and sliding members.
Innovation Solution
The recording apparatus features a sliding section with edge sections that extend across the main scanning direction, ensuring lubricant collection near the center, even when moving in either direction, and includes a gap adjustment mechanism to maintain lubrication across the entire edge section, preventing wear by ensuring oil between the guide and sliding sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sliding member with a divergent edge shape is used to scrape grease from the guide rail, then lubrication is ensured when the carriage moves to one side, but lubrication is lost when the carriage moves to the other side
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding member employs asymmetric edge sections where each edge has a divergent shape relative to its own direction of motion. The first edge section has one end positioned farther from the center than the other end, while the second edge section has the opposite configuration. This asymmetric design allows each edge to effectively scrape grease in its respective direction of travel, solving the problem of unidirectional lubrication while enabling reliable bidirectional movement.
2Productivity
If the carriage reciprocates along the main scanning direction during printing, then printing coverage is improved, but wear of the guide rail and sliding member increases due to inadequate lubrication
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding member is designed to automatically collect and distribute lubricant through its own structure during normal reciprocating motion. The divergent edge sections act as self-contained lubrication collection mechanisms that gather grease from the guide rail surface and maintain it at the sliding interface, eliminating the need for external lubrication systems while protecting against wear during high-frequency reciprocating printing operations.
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 configuration effectively collects and maintains lubricant between the guide and sliding sections, reducing wear and ensuring smooth operation regardless of the carriage's direction, even when displaced to limit positions, and secures lubrication over time.
Implementation Method 1
a lubricant is applied to a surface of the guide section on which the sliding section slides
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding section that slides on a guide rail to which grease is applied while integrally moving with a carriage is provided in a side surface of the carriage that is equipped with a liquid ejecting head and reciprocates in a moving direction. The sliding section has one side edge section extending so as to cross the moving direction in a position of one side in the moving direction, and the other side edge section extending so as to cross the moving direction in a position of the other side in the moving direction.