Configurable Supporting Member for Liquid Ejecting Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses face challenges in forming ribs of varying pitches and sizes on medium supporting portions to prevent cockling and ensure accurate ink droplet landing, which is labor-intensive and not easily adaptable to different paper materials.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with a separate supporting member configured to form ribs within holding concave portions of the medium supporting portion, allowing for easy formation and adjustment of ribs and suction concave portions, using plate-shaped members that can be easily manufactured and positioned to support the medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If ribs of different pitches and sizes are provided on the medium supporting portion to prevent cockling and ensure accurate ink droplet landing, then the print quality and medium positioning are improved, but the manufacturing complexity and labor requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The medium supporting portion is divided into multiple holding concave portions, each independently formed with suction pores and rib structures. This segmentation allows each concave portion to be manufactured separately with precise rib positioning, then assembled together, reducing the overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining high positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
A supporting member is introduced as an intermediary component that includes rib forming portions. This supporting member is disposed within the holding concave portions to form the ribs, separating the rib formation process from the main medium supporting portion manufacturing. This intermediary approach simplifies the manufacturing of the medium supporting portion while enabling precise rib configuration through the supporting member.
2Reliability
If many ribs are disposed according to the positions of concave portions and suction pores to prevent cockling, then the medium clinging and ink droplet landing accuracy are improved, but the labor required to form ribs of different pitches and sizes increases greatly
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting member with rib forming portions is prepared in advance with the desired rib configurations. This pre-formed supporting member is then inserted into the holding concave portions, eliminating the need for labor-intensive on-site rib formation. The preliminary preparation of the supporting member enables efficient mass production while ensuring reliable medium clinging through properly positioned ribs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the size and pitch of ribs are changed according to different paper materials to optimize performance, then the adaptability to different media is improved, but the complexity of forming customized ribs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting member is designed with adjustable or interchangeable rib forming portions that can be configured according to different paper materials. This dynamic adaptability allows the same basic supporting member structure to serve multiple media types by adjusting rib size and pitch, avoiding the need to design completely different supporting members for each material while maintaining optimal performance.
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 configuration enables efficient formation of ribs and suction concave portions, reducing labor and cost, and allows for easy adjustment of rib sizes and positions to maintain optimal ink droplet landing accuracy across different paper types.
Implementation Method 1
a suction mechanism for sucking the medium; two or more suction pores for applying a suction force of the suction mechanism to the medium
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising: a liquid ejecting unit which ejects a liquid onto a medium that is transported in a transport direction; a suction mechanism for sucking the medium; a medium supporting portion in which two or more suction pores for applying a suction force of the suction mechanism to the medium are provided so as to be lined up in a width direction; and a supporting member which is configured separately from the medium supporting portion, which includes rib forming portions which form ribs that can support the medium, and which is disposed on the medium supporting portion such that the rib forming portions extend in the transport direction between two of the suction pores which are lined up in the width direction.