Inkjet Head Wiper Positioning via Vertical Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid discharge apparatuses face challenges in effectively cleaning the nozzle surfaces of inkjet heads, leading to ink dripping and recording defects due to inadequate positioning and adjustment of wipers, which results in inconsistent cleaning and potential ink spreading.

Innovation Solution

A liquid discharge apparatus with a wiping device that includes a wiper support plate vertically movable with respect to a head plate, a wiper cover to protect the wiper, and adjustment screws to precisely adjust the position of the wiper support plate, ensuring parallelism and accurate contact with the nozzle surface, thereby preventing ink dripping and maintaining cleaning efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the wiper support plate is made vertically movable to adjust cleaning position, then cleaning accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning position accuracyVSAvoidwiping device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wiper support plate is designed to be vertically movable relative to the head plate, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one. This allows the cleaning position to be adjusted by moving the wiper support plate up and down, enabling adaptation to different nozzle surface positions while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The wiping device is divided into separable components: the wiper, wiper support plate, cover, and lifting device. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of each component, particularly the vertical movement of the wiper support plate, to achieve precise cleaning position control without affecting the entire system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If the wiper position is precisely adjusted to prevent ink dripping, then cleaning quality is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewiper positioning accuracyVSAvoidadjustment operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lifting device automatically performs the vertical movement of the wiper support plate to bring the wiper into contact with the nozzle surface. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual positioning adjustments, making the operation simpler while maintaining precise positioning through the automated lifting action.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical adjustment process is replaced with an automated lifting device that vertically moves the wiper support plate. This substitution transforms a complex manual adjustment operation into a simple automated process, improving ease of operation while maintaining positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If the cover is added to protect the wiper, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewiper protectionVSAvoidwiping device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cover serves as an intermediary protective element between the wiper and the external environment. It protects the wiper from contamination and damage when not in use, while allowing the wiper to function properly during cleaning operations. This simple protective structure enhances reliability without significantly complicating the overall device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Stability of the object's composition

If the wiper support plate and cover are vertically moved together, then positioning consistency is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverelative position stabilityVSAvoidvertical movement operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lifting device merges the movement control of the wiper support plate and cover into a single integrated mechanism. When the lifting device operates, both components move vertically together as a unified system, maintaining their relative positions automatically. This eliminates the need for separate adjustment operations for each component, simplifying the operation despite the added stability requirement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11577516B2Liquid discharge apparatus

Publication Date: 2023.02.14 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head including a nozzle surface having nozzles, the head configured to discharge a liquid from the nozzles, a head plate holding the head, and a wiping device including a wiper configured to wipe the nozzle surface of the head, a wiper support plate holding the wiper, the wiper support plate vertically movable with respect to the head plate, a cover between the head plate and the wiper support plate, the cover configured to cover the wiper, a lifting device configured to vertically move the wiper support plate and the cover toward the head plate until the cover contacts the head plate, and an adjuster between the wiper support plate and the cover, the adjuster configured to adjust a position of the wiper support plate with respect to the cover.