Ink Tube Routing for Ink Jet Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet recording apparatuses face issues where the ink tube protruding outside the device is prone to being crushed, leading to blockages and disrupted ink flow, especially when the tube is routed along the moving direction of the head unit.
Innovation Solution
The ink tube is designed to protrude from the front surface of the apparatus, making it visible and reducing the risk of being crushed, with configurations such as flexible routing through discharge ports and support members to maintain its integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ink tube is routed along the moving direction of the head unit and extended to the ink containing unit, then the ink flow path is established, but the ink tube protruding outside the apparatus is prone to being crushed and blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the routing dimension of the ink tube by extending it from the front surface of the apparatus rather than routing it along the moving direction of the head unit. This spatial reconfiguration allows the ink tube to protrude outward in a different dimension, reducing its exposure to crushing risks while maintaining the ink flow path from the ink containing unit to the recording head.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible ink tube that can bend and deform without breaking. This flexibility allows the tube to accommodate the new routing path from the front surface extension while maintaining its structural integrity and preventing blockages even when subjected to external pressures or deformations.
2Ease of operation
If the ink tube protrudes to the outside of the apparatus, then it becomes visible and easier to monitor, but it increases the risk of being crushed by surrounding objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing protective structures at specific locations where the ink tube protrudes from the front surface. Rather than making the entire apparatus structure complex, localized protective elements are added only at the critical protrusion points, maintaining visibility while mitigating the crushing risk in those specific areas.
3Ease of manufacture
If the ink tube is extended from the head unit along the moving direction, then the connection between head unit and ink containing unit is established, but the tube layout becomes complex and prone to interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ink tube routing from the head unit moving direction path and separates it by extending from the front surface of the apparatus. This extraction simplifies the overall routing layout by removing the tube from the complex moving path environment, reducing interference possibilities while maintaining the essential connection between the ink containing unit and the recording head.
Data Source
AI summary
An ink jet recording apparatus includes a head unit, a discharge port including a region where a recording medium on which a recording is performed by the recording head is discharged and an ink tube having flexibility, that is connected to the head unit and leads the ink from an ink containing unit. The ink tube protrudes to the outside of the apparatus from discharge port side of the front surface.