Carriage Head Holder Exchange with Branching Liquid Supply Tubes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in accurately determining the position of recording heads and efficiently exchanging them, which affects image quality and increases costs due to complex liquid supply tube removal processes.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a carriage that supports plural head holders with integrated recording heads and liquid supply tubes, allowing for easy exchange of head holders without disconnecting liquid supply tubes, using hook parts for attachment and branching liquid supply tubes to facilitate separate color and monochrome head holder exchanges, and employing simplified connection mechanisms to reduce costs and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the recording head position is determined with high accuracy, then image quality is improved, but the complexity of the liquid supply system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid supply system is segmented by branching liquid supply tubes into multiple groups, with each group corresponding to a specific head holder. This segmentation allows independent liquid supply to different recording head groups, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling precise position determination for each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage is designed with universal support capability to hold multiple head holders (both color and monochrome) using the same basic structure. The liquid supply tubes are designed to be universally connectable to different head holder types through standardized connection mechanisms, reducing system complexity while maintaining positioning accuracy.
2Productivity
If the head holder exchange process is simplified, then operational efficiency is improved, but liquid supply connection reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid supply tubes are pre-arranged and branched into groups before the head holder exchange process begins. Connection portions are pre-positioned on the carriage to match the head holder configuration, allowing for quick connection without complex alignment procedures, thus maintaining both efficiency and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Connection portions act as intermediary elements between the liquid supply tubes and head holders. These intermediaries provide standardized interfaces that simplify the exchange process while ensuring reliable liquid supply connections through consistent geometric and functional design.
3Loss of substance
If color and monochrome head holders can be exchanged separately, then running costs are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Head holders are segmented into color-specific groups and monochrome groups, with dedicated liquid supply tube groups for each. This segmentation enables selective exchange of only the required head holder type, reducing waste and running costs while the modular design keeps the overall system manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
Different liquid supply tube groups are configured with local quality variations to match the specific requirements of color versus monochrome head holders. This localized differentiation allows separate exchange capability while maintaining a unified overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a recording head including plural nozzles discharging liquid droplets; a head tank supplying liquid to the recording head; plural head holders each holding one or more recording heads and head tanks; a carriage exchangeably supporting the plural head holders; a main tank storing liquid to be supplied to the head tank; and plural liquid supply tubes supplying the liquid from the main tank to the head tank. Further, the plural liquid supply tubes are branched into plural groups corresponding to the plural head holders at the carriage and are connected to corresponding head tanks.