Carriage-Mounted Ink Tank Layout for Stable Wide-Media Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ink jet recording apparatuses face challenges in efficiently printing on wide and long recording media due to the limitations of ink head arrangement and ink supply stability during reciprocating motion, particularly when dealing with multiple colors and processing liquids.
Innovation Solution
The arrangement of ink heads and tanks on a carriage is optimized such that they are disposed in the same region in the main scanning direction, with a central tank positioned to minimize pipe line length variations and reduce pressure fluctuations, ensuring stable ink and processing liquid discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If tanks are mounted on the carriage to accommodate ink for multiple ink heads, then ink supply capacity is improved, but pipe line length variations and pressure fluctuations increase during reciprocating motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ink supply system into multiple independent tanks, each dedicated to supplying ink to specific ink heads. This segmentation allows each tank to be optimally positioned and sized for its corresponding ink heads, reducing pipe line length variations and maintaining stable ink supply pressure during carriage reciprocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent arranges tanks and ink heads in a two-dimensional layout on the carriage, optimizing their relative positions in both the main scanning direction and the direction perpendicular to it. This spatial arrangement minimizes pipe line lengths and reduces the impact of reciprocating motion on ink supply stability.
2Area of stationary object
If ink heads are arranged in multiple columns to print on wide media, then printing width capability is improved, but device complexity and ink supply management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the carriage structure to universally accommodate multiple ink heads and tanks in various configurations. The carriage provides a standardized mounting platform that can support different numbers and arrangements of ink heads, simplifying the management of complex multi-column ink supply systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the carriage as an intermediary platform that centrally manages and coordinates the ink supply to multiple ink heads. The carriage structure integrates tank mounting, pipe line routing, and ink head positioning, simplifying the overall system architecture and making ink supply management more straightforward despite the multi-column configuration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If tanks are positioned away from ink heads to optimize space, then carriage layout flexibility is improved, but pipe line length increases causing greater pressure fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local optimization by positioning each tank in close proximity to its corresponding ink heads, minimizing pipe line lengths for each ink supply path. This localized arrangement reduces pressure fluctuations and improves ink discharge stability, while the overall carriage design maintains flexibility through modular mounting configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing unit includes a carriage which reciprocates in a main scanning direction, a plurality of ink heads mounted on the carriage and arranged in at least one column along the main scanning direction, and a plurality of tanks mounted on the carriage along the main scanning direction. The plurality of ink heads include a pair of first ink heads at both ends in the main scanning direction and configured to discharge ink of a same color, and the plurality of tanks include a first tank accommodating ink of a color corresponding to the pair of first ink heads. In the carriage, an arrangement range in which the plurality of tanks are disposed includes the same region in the main scanning direction as an arrangement range in which the plurality of ink heads are disposed, and the first tank is disposed at a central portion in the main scanning direction.