Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Groove Capillary Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses, such as ink jet printers, face difficulties in detecting small amounts of ink leakage due to the absorber's reduced fluidity and the detector's inability to effectively sense the ink at the drop position.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with a receiving tray featuring a receiving region and a detection region connected by groove portions, allowing the liquid to flow through capillary action, and an optional absorber adjacent to the detector, which maintains fluidity and guides the ink to the detection area, even for small amounts, enhancing detection efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an absorber is provided in the overall receiving region to absorb leaked liquid, then the liquid can be collected, but the fluidity of the liquid is reduced and small amounts of liquid cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving tray is divided into two distinct regions: a receiving region for collecting liquid and a detection region for detecting liquid. This segmentation allows the absorber to be selectively placed only in the detection region rather than the entire receiving region, maintaining liquid fluidity in the receiving region while enabling detection in the detection region.
Solution Approach 2:
The absorber is selectively placed only in the detection region where it is needed for detection purposes, rather than being distributed throughout the entire receiving region. This local placement maintains the fluidity of liquid in the receiving region while providing absorption capability only where detection is required.
2Loss of time
If the detector is placed at the drop position to detect leaked liquid, then detection speed is improved, but the detector becomes easily soiled and detection of small amounts of liquid is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The groove portion acts as an intermediary structure that guides liquid from the receiving region to the detection region. It uses capillary action to transport liquid along a controlled path, ensuring that liquid reaches the detector reliably while preventing direct contact between the detector and the bulk liquid in the receiving region, thus reducing soiling.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid transport mechanism is replaced from gravity-driven direct flow to capillary action through the groove portion. This substitution provides controlled, gradual liquid movement that ensures reliable transport of even small amounts of liquid to the detector while preventing uncontrolled splashing or direct impact that would cause soiling.
3Measurement precision
If the absorber size is reduced to maintain liquid fluidity, then detection of small amounts of liquid is improved, but the absorber cannot sufficiently absorb and guide the liquid to the detector
Solution Approach 1:
The groove portion utilizes capillary action (a hydraulic phenomenon) to transport liquid from the receiving region to the detection region. This passive fluid transport mechanism ensures that even small amounts of liquid are reliably guided to the detector without requiring a large absorber, maintaining both liquid fluidity and detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove portion serves as an intermediary transport structure that bridges the receiving region and detection region. It takes over the liquid guidance function from the absorber, allowing the absorber to be smaller while maintaining reliable liquid transport through the groove's capillary action.
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 quick detection of small ink leaks by maintaining fluidity and guiding the ink to the detection area, reducing the risk of detector soiling and allowing for smaller absorber sizes, thereby improving the apparatus's ability to detect minor leaks effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the groove portion a part of which makes contact with the detection region is formed in the receiving region of the receiving tray. This causes the liquid received in the receiving region to flow so as to spread along the groove portion by a capillary phenomenon.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid path that connects a liquid storage portion for storing liquid and a liquid ejecting portion for ejecting liquid, a receiving tray that is provided on a gravity direction side of the liquid path and is capable of receiving the liquid, and a detector that has a detecting portion for detecting the liquid received on the receiving tray. In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the receiving tray includes a receiving region for receiving the liquid, a detection region in which the detecting portion is arranged so as to make contact with the liquid, and a groove portion formed in the receiving region, and a part of the groove portion makes contact with the detection region.