Liquid Discharge Head Holder Tilt Adjustment Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid discharge apparatuses face challenges in accurately adjusting the tilt of the head holder, leading to poor landing accuracy of droplets and deteriorated image quality, requiring complex and difficult maintenance to maintain the head holder's attitude.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus incorporates an angle adjuster mechanism, including adjustment screws and cams, to regulate the rotation of the head holder with respect to the sub-carriage, allowing for precise adjustment of the tilt and parallelism between the head holder and the platen, eliminating the need for external jigs and simplifying the adjustment process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If complex adjustment mechanisms are used to achieve accurate tilt adjustment of the head holder, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetilt adjustment precisionVSAvoidadjustment mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustment mechanism is divided into separate functional components: adjustment screws for tilt angle regulation and positioning pins for lateral positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving accurate tilt adjustment without requiring a complex integrated mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The head holder is designed with built-in adjustment screws and positioning features that enable self-adjustment of the tilt angle. The mechanism allows operators to directly adjust the tilt angle using the adjustment screws without requiring external jigs or complex tooling, making the system self-sufficient for precision adjustment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If external jigs are used for tilt adjustment, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustment easeVSAvoidadjustment system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The head holder incorporates built-in adjustment screws and positioning features that enable self-adjustment of the tilt angle. The mechanism allows operators to directly adjust the tilt angle using the adjustment screws without requiring external jigs or complex tooling, making the system self-sufficient for precision adjustment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Adjustment screws serve as intermediary elements between the operator and the head holder tilt angle. These screws provide a direct, simple interface for adjusting the tilt angle, eliminating the need for complex external jigs while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If simple adjustment mechanisms are used, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustment mechanism complexityVSAvoidtilt adjustment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustment mechanism is divided into separate functional components: adjustment screws for tilt angle regulation and positioning pins for lateral positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving accurate tilt adjustment without requiring a complex integrated mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The adjustment screws enable continuous variation of the tilt angle parameter. By rotating the screws, the tilt angle can be precisely adjusted to the required value, achieving high manufacturing precision through simple parameter change rather than complex mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3395576B1Liquid discharge apparatus
Publication Date: 2021.10.27 RICOH CO LTD
  • EP3395576B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3395576B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3395576B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A liquid discharge apparatus (70) includes a liquid discharge head (6) to discharge liquid, a head holder (25) to hold the liquid discharge head (6), a sub-carriage (18) to hold the head holder (25), and a carriage (5) to hold the sub-carriage (18) and which is movable in a main scanning direction. The carriage (5) includes a reference (15) extending along the main scanning direction that holds and positions the sub-carriage (18) in the carriage (5). The head holder (25) includes a rotation reference (31) around which the head holder (25) is rotatable with respect to the sub-carriage (18), and an angle adjuster (33, 40, 44) to regulate a rotation and adjust an angle of the rotation of the head holder (25) with respect to the sub-carriage (18).