Head Leading Member Flatness and Cost Trade-off

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printing machine head leading members are costly and difficult to manufacture with high accuracy, especially when using frames made by cutting or bending processes, as they struggle to achieve flatness and thermal deformation management.

Innovation Solution

A head leading member configuration featuring a frame with a base member having a planar guiding reference surface and a guide member supported on it, allowing for precise alignment and thermal deformation management, while using a softer material for the base member to reduce deformation and cost, and incorporating a slit part for stress release, enabling high-accuracy inkjet printing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a frame is manufactured by cutting process for extrusion-molded piece, then manufacturing precision can be improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflatness of mounting surfaceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting surface is divided into two functional parts: a rough mounting surface for fixing the base member, and a guiding reference surface for supporting the guide member. This segmentation allows each surface to be optimized independently - the mounting surface can be simpler while the guiding reference surface achieves high precision through the base member's planarization treatment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The base member acts as an intermediary component between the frame and the guide member. It transfers the guiding function from the frame to itself, allowing the frame to be simpler and cheaper while the base member provides the high-precision guiding reference surface through planarization treatment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If a frame is manufactured by bending process on metal plate, then manufacturing cost can be reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidflatness of mounting surface

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The guiding function is extracted from the frame itself and transferred to a separate base member. This allows the frame to be manufactured by simple bending process at low cost, while the guiding precision is achieved through the base member's planarization treatment and precise machining of its guiding reference surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The base member is designed as a separate, replaceable component that can be manufactured with high precision through planarization treatment. This allows the expensive precision work to be concentrated on a small, replaceable part rather than the entire frame structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Manufacturing precision

If the guiding reference surface is made planar through manufacturing process, then manufacturing precision can be improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflatness of guiding reference surfaceVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Only the guiding reference surface of the base member requires high precision planarization treatment, not the entire frame or base member. This localized precision approach achieves the necessary flatness for guide member support without requiring complex precision manufacturing for the entire structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 allows for the production of a head leading member that can lead the printing head with high accuracy and thermal deformation management, enhancing the stiffness of the printing machine's chassis while maintaining low production costs and achieving high-accuracy printing.

Implementation Method 1

a guiding reference surface that is performed with a manufacture so as to be planar along the main travelling direction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlanar surface manufacturing:

Implementation Method 2

a guide member, extending in the main travelling direction and being supported on the guiding reference surface of the base member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical support on planar surface:

Implementation Method 3

it is still difficult to directly cut the mounting surface in order to secure flatness, and therefore materializing high accuracy is difficult

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal deformation management: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS11318767B2Manufacturing method of head leading member

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO LTD

AI summary

A manufacturing method of a head leading member, which is provided in a printing machine including a head for discharging an ink toward a working surface, in order to lead the head in a main travelling direction, and the manufacturing method of a head leading member including: a base member fixing step in which a base member, being like a plate, is fixed to a frame extending in the main travelling direction; a guiding reference surface shaping step in which a surface of the base member, in a state of being fixed to the frame, is so manufactured as to be a plane, being along the main travelling direction, in such a way as to shape a guiding reference surface; and a guide member supporting step in which a guide member for leading the head is set in such a way that the guiding reference surface supports the guide member.