Inkjet Carriage Guide Integration for Compact High-Precision Printing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image recording apparatuses of ink-jet type face challenges in achieving high accuracy and compactness due to the need for additional guide members and maintenance units, which increase cost and size, and require precise attachment of guide plates to ensure accurate guidance and gap settings between the recording head and medium.
Innovation Solution
An image recording apparatus with a box-shaped main frame having an open upper side and side plates extending in the sub-scanning direction, featuring first and second guide members that are fixed to the side plates, providing high rigidity and allowing the carriage to reciprocate accurately while maintaining a compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If guide plates are added to accurately guide the carriage, then guidance accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide plates are integrally formed with the main frame as a single piece, eliminating the need for separate guide members and their attachment hardware. This merging of functions reduces the number of parts while maintaining accurate guidance of the carriage in the main scanning direction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the main frame is extended to accommodate a maintenance unit, then maintenance capability is improved, but the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance unit is positioned at one end of the main frame and utilizes the existing structural space, nesting its functions within the overall frame configuration rather than extending the frame length. This allows maintenance operations to be performed without increasing the overall apparatus footprint.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a paper feed cassette is disposed below the main frame, then paper feeding function is improved, but the height size increases due to required vertical movement space
Solution Approach 1:
The paper feed cassette is disposed below the main frame in the vertical direction, utilizing the vertical dimension for paper storage rather than extending the horizontal dimensions. The paper feed roller's vertical movement is constrained to a minimal space, allowing the cassette to be compact in height while still providing full paper feeding functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An image recording apparatus includes: a carriage that carries a recording head capable of recording an image on a recording medium and reciprocates in a main scanning direction; a substantially box-shaped main frame having an open upper side and a pair of side plates extending in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; and first and second guide members over which the carriage extends and by which the carriage is guided, the first and second guide members being disposed to be apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the sub-scanning direction, extended in the main scanning direction at the upper side of the main frame and fixed to the pair of side plates.