Inkjet Printer Support Assembly Pre-tensioning Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support assemblies for ink-jet printing devices fail to maintain a constant distance between the print head nozzles and the printing surface, leading to suboptimal print quality due to deflection under load and sagging.
Innovation Solution
A support assembly with a bar-shaped supporting element and adjusting elements that allow for pre-tensioning between the support and the supporting element, maintaining rectilinearity and compensating for deflection, ensuring a constant distance between the nozzles and the printing surface across the entire longitudinal extension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the support walls are formed by assembling modular components, then the manufacturing process is simplified and cost is reduced, but the guiding precision and structural rigidity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple modular support walls (front, rear, left, right) into a single integrated support structure. This merging maintains the manufacturing advantages of modular components while achieving the guiding precision of a monolithic structure through precise assembly and integration of the modular walls.
2Manufacturing precision
If the support structure is made more rigid to prevent deflection, then the guiding precision improves, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite construction by combining different materials with complementary properties for the support structure. This allows achieving the required rigidity and precision while minimizing weight and structural complexity through optimized material selection and composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates curved or optimized structural forms in the support design to enhance rigidity and resistance to deflection. These curved elements provide structural efficiency that increases guiding precision without proportionally increasing device complexity or weight.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the distance between bearing places of the supporter is increased, then the adaptability to different printing surfaces improves, but the sagging and deflection under load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adjustable and deformable elements in the support structure that allow dynamic adaptation to different printing surfaces. These dynamic components enable the support to maintain rectilinearity and compensate for sagging even when bearing places are spaced farther apart, thereby improving adaptability without sacrificing stability.
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 solution ensures a stable and constant distance between the print head nozzles and the printing surface, enhancing print quality and allowing for easy adjustment to various operational conditions while minimizing sagging and vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
the possibility is created to deform the additional supporting element with respect to the supporter in such a way that the latter is orientated in its mostly horizontal position, in a straight-lined way and thus without deflection under load
Implementation Method 2
the desired pre-stress with respect to one another can be such increased by means of the adjusting element that the rectilinearity can be maintained across the entire longitudinal extension of the supporter, also in the event of highest stress
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a support assembly (1) for an ink-jet printing device, comprising a support (3) with a guide track (2), which runs in the longitudinal direction of said support, for a moveable unit that travels along said guide track (2). A supporting element (4), which like-wise extends in the longitudinal direction, is associated with the support (3) of the support assembly (1) and the ends (10, 11) of said support element (4) are supported on the support (3) against the effective gravitational direction. In addition, the support (3) and the supporting element (4) are tensioned with respect to one another along their longitudinal extension by means of at least one adjusting element (13).