Carriage Gap Adjusting Mechanism for Inkjet Printers
Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers experience swinging phenomena due to misalignment of the carriage's center of gravity and the position where the endless belt is fixed, leading to reduced ink landing precision, which existing mechanisms fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A gap adjusting mechanism is introduced between the carriage and the slide member, utilizing a gap adjusting cam that receives the dead weight of the carriage and changes position to adjust the gap, while a restriction section or pinching section maintains a predetermined gap, suppressing swinging by applying an urging force or pinching action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the carriage is driven by the endless belt, then the carriage moves in the scanning direction, but the carriage swings due to misalignment between the center of gravity and the belt fixation position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a counterweight member that applies a counterbalancing force to offset the swinging moment caused by the misalignment between the carriage's center of gravity and the endless belt fixation position. This counterweight mechanism directly addresses the stability issue while maintaining the carriage's movement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary urging force through the urging section (spring or elastic member) to maintain continuous contact between the carriage and guide members before swinging occurs. This preliminary action prevents the carriage from lifting off or swinging during operation by pre-establishing the necessary contact force.
2Manufacturing precision
If the gap adjusting cam is displaced to adjust the PG, then the gap between recording head and medium changes, but the carriage may lift from the gap adjusting cam or cam may lift from slide member causing swinging
Solution Approach 1:
The urging section (spring or elastic member) applies preliminary urging force to maintain continuous contact between the carriage body, gap adjusting cam, and slide member throughout the gap adjustment range. This prevents lifting or separation that would cause swinging during PG adjustment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member or spring acts as a cushioning element that absorbs shocks and maintains contact pressure between moving components during gap adjustment. This beforehand cushioning prevents sudden separations or impacts that could cause the carriage to lift from the cam mechanism.
3Device complexity
If only dead weight of the carriage is applied between carriage and gap adjusting cam, then the structure is simple, but the carriage may lift up causing swinging
Solution Approach 1:
The urging section (spring or elastic member) applies preliminary urging force to maintain continuous contact between the carriage body, gap adjusting cam, and slide member. This simple yet effective addition prevents lifting and swinging without significantly increasing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member or spring acts as an intermediary element between the carriage body and the gap adjusting cam mechanism. This intermediary component transmits and maintains the necessary contact force while allowing for smooth operation and gap adjustment.
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 suppresses carriage swinging, ensuring precise ink landing and favorable recording results by maintaining a stable gap between the recording head and the medium, regardless of paper thickness.
Implementation Method 1
a gap adjusting cam that is interposed between the slide member and the carriage body to receive a dead weight of the carriage, and changes in the scanning direction relative to the slide member and the carriage body to change the gap
Implementation Method 2
a restriction section that restricts at least one of expansion of the interval between the carriage body and the gap adjusting cam and expansion of the interval between the gap adjusting cam and the slide member in such a way as to keep a predetermined gap
Data Source
AI summary
A recording apparatus includes a recording head and a carriage. The carriage includes a slide member that is provided so that the position of the slide member relative to a carriage body is changeable in a direction where a gap between the recording head and a medium changes, and moves together with carriage body in the scanning direction, a gap adjusting cam that is interposed between the slide member and the carriage body, and, upon reception of the dead weight of the carriage, changes in the scanning direction relative to the slide member and the carriage body to change the gap, and a restriction section that restricts at least one of expansion of the interval between the carriage body and the gap adjusting cam and expansion of the interval between the gap adjusting cam and the slide member in such a way as to keep a predetermined gap.