Inkjet Carriage Capping via Pressing Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers with adjustable carriage height face challenges in ensuring sufficient contact between the cap member and the recording head due to weak biasing forces, leading to inadequate capping during printing pauses or non-use periods.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with a moving body supporting the recording head, a cap member applying orthogonal biasing force, and a pressing member that opposes the moving body to enhance the capping pressure, ensuring the cap member adheres closely to the recording head by equalizing or exceeding the biasing force with the combined weight and pressing force of the moving body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the carriage is lifted up by the biasing force when the cap member is made to abut the recording head, then the carriage height position is adjusted, but the cap member cannot be made to adhere sufficiently closely to the recording head
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member is configured to counteract the lifting force generated by the cap member's biasing force on the carriage. By applying a downward pressing force through the pressing member, the system balances the upward biasing force, ensuring the carriage remains in contact with the cap member and maintains sufficient adhesion between the cap member and recording head during capping operations.
2Device complexity
If the biasing force of the elastic member is weak, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cap member cannot be made to adhere sufficiently closely with the recording head
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member acts as an intermediary mechanism between the carriage and the cap member. Instead of directly increasing the biasing force of the elastic member, the pressing member transmits an additional pressing force to the carriage, which then transfers this force to the cap member. This intermediary approach allows sufficient capping adhesion to be achieved without requiring a complex high-force elastic member.
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 solution ensures effective capping of the recording head, preventing ink drying and reducing capping failures by maintaining a stable and sufficient contact between the cap member and the recording head, even with adjustable carriage heights.
Implementation Method 1
the sum of the weight of the moving body itself and the pressing force with which the pressing member presses the moving body is equal to or greater than the biasing force that acts on the moving body by the abutting of the cap member
Implementation Method 2
a cap member made to abut the liquid ejecting head to surround the nozzles along with a biasing force from a perpendicular direction that is orthogonal to the scanning direction
Data Source
AI summary
An ink jet printer includes a carriage configured to be movable supporting a recording head that can eject ink onto paper, a cam member adjusting the height position of the carriage to adjust the distance between the paper and the recording head, a cap member abutting the recording head along with a biasing force, and an engagement member placed to oppose the cap member with the carriage therebetween and pressing the carriage to the cap member side. The sum of the weight of the carriage itself and the pressing force with which the engagement member presses the carriage is equal to or greater than the biasing force acting on the carriage through the abutting of the cap member.