Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Base Member Positional Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

In ink jet printers, the accumulation of attachment errors between components in the medium transport path leads to difficulties in achieving precise positional accuracy of the medium.

Innovation Solution

Attaching the unwinding and winding units to a common base member, with a transporting unit positioned between them, and incorporating an ejecting unit for weight balance and angle adjustment, along with a medium supporting portion and tension adjusting unit, to improve positional accuracy and balance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the sending device and the winding device are attached to a main body frame via different components, then the device structure is more flexible and easier to assemble, but the attachment error of each component is accumulated, making it difficult to improve the positional accuracy of the medium in the transport path

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositional accuracy of mediumVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the sending device and winding device onto a single base member, eliminating intermediate mounting components. This direct attachment approach prevents cumulative positioning errors that would occur with multiple separate mounting components, thereby improving the positional accuracy of the medium in the transport path while reducing the overall number of components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If multiple components are used between the sending and winding devices, then the device can be assembled more easily with modular components, but the attachment error accumulates and reduces positional accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidpositional accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

By integrating both the sending device and winding device directly onto the base member, the patent reduces the number of assembly interfaces and mounting components. This simplification maintains ease of manufacture through straightforward direct attachment while eliminating the cumulative positioning errors that would arise from multiple intermediate mounting components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the ejecting unit is positioned between the unwinding unit and the winding unit, then the weight balance between the unwinding unit and winding unit can be optimized, but the space for medium transport is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight balanceVSAvoidtransport path space
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The ejecting unit is positioned in the width direction (transverse to the medium transport direction) between the unwinding and winding units. This spatial arrangement in a different dimension allows the ejecting unit to contribute to weight balance without obstructing the medium transport path, effectively resolving the conflict between weight optimization and transport space requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3188912B1Liquid ejecting apparatus and assembling method of liquid ejecting apparatus
Publication Date: 2019.12.25 SEIKO EPSON CORP
  • EP3188912B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3188912B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3188912B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: an unwinding unit that holds a roll-shaped medium and unwinds the held medium; an ejecting unit that ejects liquid onto the medium unwound from the unwinding unit; a winding unit that winds the medium onto which the liquid is ejected; and a base member to which the unwinding unit and the winding unit are attached.