Carriage Positioning for Liquid Ejecting Head Maintenance Safety

Solution Overview

Problem

Ink jet printers face risks of internal structure damage during maintenance due to careless handling of replacement parts, which can lead to operational issues when maintenance sections contact sensitive components like the liquid ejecting head.

Innovation Solution

A liquid ejecting apparatus design where the carriage moves to a position away from the maintenance section during attachment or detachment, ensuring the nozzle formed surface faces the support portion, and a case covers the carriage and maintenance section to prevent contact with internal components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the maintenance section is detachably mounted on the maintenance area to enable maintenance operations, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of contact between the maintenance section and internal components increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of maintenanceVSAvoidcontact risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The carriage is moved to a predetermined safe position (printing position) before the maintenance section is attached or detached. This preliminary action ensures that the liquid ejecting head is already in a safe location before the maintenance operation begins, preventing contact between the maintenance section and internal components during the attachment/detachment process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the carriage is positioned to allow maintenance section access, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of the liquid ejecting head is worsened due to potential contact damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance accessibilityVSAvoidliquid ejecting head reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The carriage is moved to a predetermined safe position (printing position) before the maintenance section is attached or detached. This preliminary action ensures that the liquid ejecting head is already in a safe location before the maintenance operation begins, preventing contact between the maintenance section and internal components during the attachment/detachment process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The controller acts as an intermediary that coordinates between the maintenance operation and the carriage position. It automatically moves the carriage to the safe position when detecting maintenance section attachment or detachment, and returns it to the original position after maintenance, ensuring the liquid ejecting head is protected during maintenance while maintaining normal operation afterward

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9573374B2Liquid ejecting apparatus

Publication Date: 2017.02.21 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having a nozzle formed surface on which a nozzle which is capable of ejecting a liquid towards a target is formed, a support portion which can support the target, a carriage which can reciprocate in a scanning direction with the liquid ejecting head held, and a maintenance section which is detachably mounted on a maintenance area outside the support portion in the scanning direction to perform maintenance on the liquid ejecting head, and in which, when the maintenance section is attached or detached, the carriage has the nozzle formed surface moving to a position facing the support portion.