Carriage Mist Catching Fan for Inkjet Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses face challenges in effectively capturing mist of ink immediately after its occurrence, leading to potential contamination of the medium and the ejecting unit.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with a carriage that includes catching units equipped with a fan to generate an air current, which captures and directs mist towards a collecting unit, preventing contamination and ensuring efficient collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a collecting unit is provided separately from the carriage to collect ink mist, then the structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but the mist cannot be caught immediately after occurrence, reducing collection effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The catching units are integrated into the carriage structure, merging the mist catching function with the existing recording carriage. This allows the carriage to simultaneously perform recording and mist catching operations, enabling immediate capture of mist at its source without requiring a separate stationary collecting unit, thus resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and collection effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The catching units are positioned at the carriage to intercept and catch ink mist immediately after it is generated during the recording process. This preliminary action of catching mist at the source prevents it from spreading and contaminating the medium or ejecting unit, thereby maintaining high collection effectiveness while keeping the overall structure relatively simple
2Reliability
If catching units are provided on the carriage to catch mist immediately, then mist collection effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catching units are integrated into the existing carriage structure rather than being added as completely separate components. The carriage serves dual functions: recording (original function) and mist catching (new function). This merging approach increases functionality while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as the recording mechanism and as the platform for mist catching operations. By making the carriage universal, the patent avoids adding dedicated separate structures for mist collection, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving improved mist collection effectiveness
3Device complexity
If mist is not caught immediately, then the structure can be simpler without catching units on the carriage, but liquid may contaminate the medium and ejecting unit
Solution Approach 1:
The catching units are positioned to intercept ink mist immediately after it is generated during recording. This preliminary action prevents the mist from traveling to and contaminating the medium or the ejecting unit. By catching mist at the source, the patent eliminates contamination risks without requiring complex additional protective structures
Solution Approach 2:
The catching units perform a preliminary anti-action by capturing and removing ink mist before it can cause harmful contamination effects. This proactive approach prevents the harmful factor (mist contamination) from occurring in the first place, thereby protecting both the medium and ejecting unit while maintaining relatively simple device structure
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 allows for immediate capture of mist, reducing contamination risks and ensuring effective collection, thereby maintaining the integrity of the medium and the apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
the catching units include a fan which moves the mist from the catching units by generating an air current
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus which includes a carriage including an ejecting unit which ejects liquid onto a medium, and can move in a reciprocating direction, in which the carriage includes catching units which catch mist which occurs along with ejecting of the liquid from the ejecting unit on at least one side of the ejecting unit in the reciprocating direction, and the catching units include a fan which moves the mist from the catching units by generating an air current.