Inkjet Head Contact Member Positioning for Single-Wiper Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection apparatuses, such as printers with line-type inkjet heads, require multiple wipers to prevent sheet warpage, leading to increased costs and maintenance efforts due to the need for multiple wipers and complex wiper replacement processes.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection apparatus with a contact member that is displaceable between two positions, allowing it to interfere with a wiper at one position and avoid interference at another, reducing the need for multiple wipers and simplifying maintenance by converting the displacement of the ejection head into contact member displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple wipers are provided to correspond to multiple head units, then sheet warpage is suppressed, but apparatus cost and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single wiper is designed to perform the function of multiple wipers by utilizing the relative movement between the liquid ejection head and the wiper. During retraction, the wiper contacts and wipes the head surface, achieving the same warpage suppression effect as multiple wipers would provide for multiple head units.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiper system employs dynamic positioning where the wiper moves relative to the head surface during head retraction. This dynamic interaction allows a single wiper to serve multiple head units sequentially, replacing the static multiple-wiper configuration.
2Reliability
If multiple wipers are provided to correspond to multiple head units, then sheet warpage is suppressed, but wiper replacement time and labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single wiper is designed to perform the function of multiple wipers by utilizing the relative movement between the liquid ejection head and the wiper. During retraction, the wiper contacts and wipes the head surface, achieving the same warpage suppression effect as multiple wipers would provide for multiple head units.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiper system employs dynamic positioning where the wiper moves relative to the head surface during head retraction. This dynamic interaction allows a single wiper to serve multiple head units sequentially, replacing the static multiple-wiper configuration.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If contact member is positioned to prevent medium contact with head surface, then medium contamination is prevented, but wiper operation is interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The contact member is designed to be displaceable between two positions: first position where it contacts the medium to prevent contamination, and second position where it retracts to avoid interfering with the wiper during head surface wiping operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact member periodically switches between contacting the medium (during ejection) and retracting (during wiper operation), allowing both medium protection and effective wiper function to be achieved at different operational phases.
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid ejection apparatus (1) includes a liquid ejection head (40), a wiper (36) that wipes a head surface with nozzles provided thereon in the liquid ejection head by moving with respect to the head surface to wipe the head surface, and at least one contact member (53, 60) provided integrally with the liquid ejection head and configured to come into contact with the medium conveyed between the head surface and a facing portion, wherein the contact member is displaceable between a first position and a second position that are relative positions to the head surface, the first position is a position at which the contact member is allowed to interfere with the wiper and come into contact with the medium, and the second position is a position at which the contact member is not allowed to interfere with the wiper.