Carriage Projecting Portion Lubricant Application
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet recording apparatuses face issues with lubricant distribution between sliding members and a guide surface, leading to inefficiencies and wear, which degrade printing precision due to uneven surface contact and lubricant wastage.
Innovation Solution
A recording apparatus with a projecting portion on the carriage that extends further in the scanning direction, allowing for a smaller gap with the guide surface, and a method of applying lubricant by first moving the carriage to one side, contacting it with the projecting portion, and then applying it to the sliding surface before reciprocal movement, ensuring efficient lubricant spread without wastage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If grooves are formed in sliding surfaces to hold lubricant, then lubricant retention is improved, but surface pressure increases causing wear
Solution Approach 1:
A lubricant application member is introduced as an intermediary component between the lubricant supply and the sliding surface. This member applies lubricant directly to the sliding surface during carriage movement, eliminating the need for grooves to retain lubricant while ensuring adequate lubrication without increasing surface pressure
2Loss of substance
If grooves are formed in sliding surfaces, then lubricant distribution is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to height tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricant application member serves as a mediator that simplifies the lubricant distribution process. It directly applies lubricant to the sliding surface during carriage movement, eliminating the need for complex groove structures and height tolerance specifications while ensuring uniform lubricant distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The lubricant is applied to the sliding surface in advance during carriage movement before the actual sliding contact occurs. This preliminary application ensures the sliding surface is properly lubricated without requiring post-assembly groove formation or complex tolerance control
3Ease of manufacture
If lubricant is applied to one side of the guide surface, then application simplicity is maintained, but lubricant wastage occurs due to push-out effect
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricant is applied to the sliding surface in advance during carriage movement before the actual sliding contact occurs. This preliminary application ensures the sliding surface is properly lubricated without requiring post-assembly groove formation or complex tolerance control
Solution Approach 2:
The lubricant application member acts as an intermediary that controls lubricant placement precisely on the sliding surface, preventing the push-out effect that causes wastage while maintaining simple application procedures
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 solution enables efficient lubricant distribution between sliding surfaces and the guide surface, reducing wear and maintaining printing precision by ensuring consistent contact and minimizing lubricant wastage.
Implementation Method 1
a sliding member that is provided on the carriage and has a sliding surface that slides with a guide surface of the guide member via a lubricant
Data Source
AI summary
A recording apparatus includes: a carriage on which a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid is mounted, the carriage being reciprocally movable in a scanning direction; a guide member that extends in the scanning direction and that guides movement of the carriage in the scanning direction; and a sliding member that is provided on the carriage and has a sliding surface that slides with a guide surface of the guide member via a lubricant, in a case where the carriage moves in the scanning direction. The carriage has a projecting portion that projects farther toward one side in the scanning direction than the sliding member. A gap formed between the projecting portion and the guide surface becomes smaller toward the sliding member in the scanning direction.