Curved Wiper Blade Holder for Uniform Tip Force

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Solution Overview

Problem

In printers with binary ink developers, the wiper blade holder deforms under pre-load force, causing uneven angles of attack and tip forces along the wiper blade, leading to improper cleaning of the cleaner roller, resulting in streaks or smearing of printing fluid.

Innovation Solution

A wiper blade holder with a curved or non-planar mounting surface is designed to maintain a consistent angle of attack and tip force across the width of the wiper blade, compensating for deformation caused by pre-load forces, using modifications such as curvature or varying surface shapes to control free length and deflection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Force

If a pre-load force is applied to the wiper blade holder, then the wiper blade is pressed against the cleaner roller with sufficient force, but the wiper blade holder deforms causing uneven angles of attack and tip forces along the wiper blade

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetip forceVSAvoidangle of attack uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting surface is designed with a curved profile rather than being flat, allowing the wiper blade to maintain a consistent angle of attack along its entire length even when the holder deforms under pre-load force. The curvature compensates for the deformation by distributing the contact angles appropriately across the blade width.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the mounting surface have different orientations and curvatures tailored to compensate for local deformation patterns. The surface geometry varies along the length of the wiper blade to maintain uniform performance characteristics despite the applied pre-load force.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a pre-load force is applied to the wiper blade holder, then the wiper blade maintains contact with the cleaner roller, but the tip force becomes uneven along the width of the wiper blade

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning consistencyVSAvoidtip force uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The curved mounting surface ensures that the wiper blade contacts the cleaner roller at optimized angles across its entire width. This curvature distribution compensates for holder deformation and pre-load effects, maintaining uniform tip force and reliable cleaning performance along the full length of the blade.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Ease of manufacture

If a flat mounting surface is used on the wiper blade holder, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but the angle of attack varies along the width of the wiper blade when deformed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemounting surface fabricationVSAvoidangle of attack consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of a flat surface, the mounting surface incorporates a deliberate curved profile that can be manufactured as an integrated feature of the holder. This curvature is designed to pre-compensate for deformation under load, achieving consistent angle of attack without requiring complex post-manufacturing adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentEP3317107B1Mounting surfaces for wiper blades

Publication Date: 2022.01.26 HP INDIGO BV

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AI summary

In example implementations, an apparatus includes a planar surface, a curved mounting surface and a wiper blade. The curved mounting surface may be coupled adjacent to the planar surface. The wiper blade may be clamped to the planar surface. A bottom of the wiper blade can rest on the curved mounting surface such that a free length of the wiper blade is different at a plurality of points along a width of the wiper blade.