Inkjet Maintenance Device with Retractable Blade Cleaning Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording apparatuses face issues with nozzle clogging due to ink viscosity increase during non-use periods, leading to ink contamination or damage from contact with supply members, and require large apparatus configurations for effective cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance device with a blade, supply member, link member, biasing member, and cleaning liquid supply source, which allows for controlled wiping and separation of the supply member from the blade during operation, preventing ink contamination and reducing apparatus size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the supply member is provided in the inkjet head to supply cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface, then the cleaning effect is improved, but the sheet may come into contact with the supply member and be contaminated or damage the supply member
Solution Approach 1:
The supply member is designed to be movable relative to the blade, transitioning between a contact position (for cleaning) and a retracted position (avoiding sheet contact). The link member enables this dynamic positioning, allowing the supply member to be pushed forward by the biasing member during cleaning operations and retracted when not in use, thus preventing sheet contamination while maintaining effective cleaning capability.
2Reliability
If a configuration for washing the blades is newly provided to obtain high cleaning effect, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the apparatus becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning liquid supply function is integrated into the existing blade structure. The supply member is positioned above the blade and supplies cleaning liquid directly to the blade surface, combining two cleaning functions (nozzle cleaning and blade cleaning) into a compact arrangement. This eliminates the need for separate blade washing mechanisms, maintaining high cleaning effectiveness while avoiding apparatus enlargement.
Solution Approach 2:
The link member acts as an intermediary mechanism that connects the biasing member to the supply member, enabling compact transmission of force. This allows the biasing member to push the supply member forward in a space-efficient manner, integrating the cleaning liquid supply mechanism within the existing apparatus footprint without requiring additional space for blade washing configurations.
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
Effectively prevents ink contamination and reduces the need for large cleaning configurations by ensuring controlled wiping and separation of the supply member, maintaining apparatus integrity and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The biasing member biases the link member rearward in a moving direction of the wiping operation
Data Source
AI summary
A maintenance device includes a blade, a supply member, a link member, a biasing member, a cleaning liquid supply source, and a supply source lifting device. The supply member is in contact with the blade to supply a cleaning liquid to the blade. The link member supports the supply member and is turned around a shaft provided below the supply member. The biasing member biases the link member rearward in a moving direction of a wiping operation. The cleaning liquid supply source supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply member. When the cleaning liquid supply source is lifted, the supply member is separated upward from the blade, the cleaning liquid supply source pushes the supply member forward in the moving direction against the biasing member, and the supply member is moved to a position where the blade can be in contact with during the wiping operation.