Liquid Ejection Capping Mechanism Humidifying Passage Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection apparatuses face clogging issues due to moisture evaporation around ejection openings, leading to increased viscosity and clogging, as the humidifying passage in current designs does not effectively reach the annular component, causing thickened liquid to absorb moisture and clog the ejection openings.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection apparatus with a capping mechanism and humidifying passage design where the supply and discharge openings are positioned to form a passage that humidified air flows along the inner circumferential surfaces of the annular component, ensuring the annular component and its vicinity remain humidified, preventing liquid thickening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the humidifying passage is designed to reach the edges of the capping member, then the liquid around the ejection openings can be effectively humidified, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The humidifying passage is designed with different characteristics in different regions: the first humidifying passage reaches the first edge of the capping member, while the second humidifying passage reaches the second edge. This local differentiation ensures that liquid adhering to specific areas (annular component and its vicinity) receives adequate humidification, preventing clogging without requiring a uniformly complex structure throughout the entire capping member.
2Reliability
If the air supply opening and air discharging opening are positioned at the edges of the bottom surface of the capping member, then the humidified air can flow along the inner circumferential surface of the annular component, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The humidifying function is segmented into two distinct passages: a first humidifying passage extending from the first edge to the second edge, and a second humidifying passage extending from the second edge to the first edge. This segmentation allows each passage to be optimized for its specific route, with the air supply opening and air discharging opening positioned at opposite edges. The segmented design facilitates easier manufacturing by dividing the complex humidification path into manageable sections, reducing the overall precision requirements compared to a single continuous passage.
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 apparatus effectively prevents liquid thickening on the annular component and nearby areas, maintaining the moisture levels around ejection openings, thereby reducing clogging and ensuring continuous operation.
Implementation Method 1
a humidifier for humidifying an air in the passage
Implementation Method 2
the moisture of the liquid around the ejection openings is evaporated and hence the viscosity is increased
Data Source
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AI summary
A capping mechanism, which causes an ejection space opposing ejection openings of a liquid ejection head to take either one of a sealed state and a non-sealed state, includes an annular component which surrounds the ejection space in the sealed state and an opposing member which opposes the ejection openings with the ejection space interposed therebetween. A mechanism for supplying humidified air generates humidified air and includes a supply opening and a discharging opening. The supply opening and the discharging opening are positioned to form a humidifying passage such that the humidified air having flown along an inner circumferential surface of a first region of the annular component passes through a gap between the ejection openings and the opposing member and flows along an inner circumferential surface of a second region of the annular component, which opposes the first region.