Inkjet Printer Head Holder Staggered Airflow Mist Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet printers face issues with ink mist contamination leading to injection failures and print defects due to the close spacing of ink heads, which results in printer enlargement and potential damage from ink mist infiltration into internal components.
Innovation Solution
The ink heads are projected outward from a head holder surface, aligned in a staggered manner with airflow paths to prevent mist attachment and ensure precise positioning, while guide rollers and a suctioned printing paper belt facilitate airflow and paper stability for improved print quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If ink heads are located closely together to achieve downsizing, then printer size is reduced, but ink mist attaches on other ink heads causing injection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful ink mist is extracted from the space between ink heads by introducing airflow paths that guide the mist away from the ink head array, preventing contamination while maintaining compact spacing
Solution Approach 2:
Airflow paths act as an intermediary mechanism between ink heads, transporting ink mist away from sensitive components without requiring physical separation or shielding structures
2Reliability
If distance is secured between ink heads to prevent mist attachment, then injection reliability is improved, but printer size becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves from one-dimensional spatial separation (increasing distance between ink heads) to three-dimensional airflow management (guiding mist away in vertical and lateral directions), enabling compact layout with reliable operation
Solution Approach 2:
Airflow paths are utilized to pneumatically transport ink mist away from ink heads, replacing the need for physical distance with fluid dynamic control
3Device complexity
If ink heads are highly condensed to meet multifunctional requirements, then device complexity is reduced, but ink mist infiltrates into printer interior causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
Ink mist is extracted from the printer interior by establishing dedicated airflow paths that guide contaminated air away from sensitive components, eliminating the need for complex shielding structures
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 prevents ink mist contamination, allows for printer downsizing, and enhances the quality of high-pixelated images by ensuring ink heads are protected and functional, while maintaining efficient airflow to diffuse ink mists away from sensitive components.
Implementation Method 1
a suctioned printing paper belt
Implementation Method 2
form retiform mist eduction paths... The primary flow paths and the secondary flow paths are communicated with each other
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus for a printer forms images by injecting inks on a printing paper being fed on a feeding path. The image forming apparatus comprises a head holder surface provided on the feeding path with being opposed to a surface of the feeding path and a plurality of ink heads for injecting inks from injection ports thereof. Here, the injection ports of the plurality of ink heads are projected outward from the head holder surface. The image forming apparatus can achieve further downsizing and multifunctional capability and improve quality of higher pixelated printed images. In addition, the image forming apparatus can prevent negative effects such as ink injection failures or defacement of printed matters due to ink mists made on injecting ink.