Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Capping Mechanism with Protrusion Isolation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses, such as ink-jet printers, face challenges with clogging of ejection openings due to ink viscosity increases, requiring large humidifying mechanisms and precise positioning for maintenance, leading to increased size and time for initiation of humidification maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A liquid ejecting apparatus with a capping mechanism using a protrusion on the head holder to isolate the ejection space and a humidifying mechanism with circulation passages for efficient air humidification, eliminating the need for a large cap and reducing the time and complexity of positioning for maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a humidifying mechanism is provided in the cap, then humidification maintenance can be performed, but the cap becomes large-sized and the printer becomes large-sized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of ejection opening cloggingVSAvoidsize of the printer

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the humidifying mechanism from the cap structure and relocates it to a separate maintenance mechanism. The cap is simplified to only perform capping function, while the humidifying mechanism is integrated into the maintenance mechanism that can be independently positioned and operated

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The maintenance mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a cap for isolating the ejection surface and a separate humidifying mechanism with circulation passages. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and reduces the overall size requirement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the cap needs to come into contact with the ejection surface at a predetermined position, then humidification maintenance can be performed, but a high degree of accuracy for positioning is required and it takes a long time to position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeffectiveness of humidification maintenanceVSAvoidtime for positioning head and cap

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The maintenance mechanism is designed with movable components that can dynamically adjust their positions. The cap and humidifying mechanism can be moved independently to their respective operational positions, allowing for flexible and rapid positioning without requiring high precision alignment between fixed components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The cap is designed to automatically align with the ejection surface through preliminary positioning features such as guide rails or alignment marks, reducing the time and precision required for manual positioning during maintenance operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the ejection surface is covered by a cap and humidification maintenance is performed, then clogging of ejection openings is prevented, but the cap becomes large-sized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of ejection opening cloggingVSAvoidsize of the cap

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The humidifying mechanism is extracted from the cap structure and relocated to a separate maintenance mechanism, allowing the cap to be minimized to only the size necessary for covering the ejection surface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The cap is designed as a flexible or thin-walled structure that can conform to the ejection surface shape, reducing material usage and overall size while maintaining effective coverage for preventing clogging

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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

The solution allows for prompt initiation of humidification maintenance and reduces the size of the apparatus by eliminating the need for precise positioning and large humidifying mechanisms, while ensuring effective humidification of the ejection openings.

Implementation Method 1

a humidifier configured to humidify an air in the circulation passage

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHumidification:

Implementation Method 2

the protrusion being configured such that the protrusion isolates, from an external space, an ejection space formed between the ejection surface and the facing surface when the tip contacts the facing surface

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical containment: Physical Containment

Data Source

PatentUS9016832B2Liquid ejecting apparatus

Publication Date: 2015.04.28 BROTHER KOGYO KK

AI summary

A liquid ejecting apparatus, including: a head having an ejection surface; a head holder; a capping mechanism for capping the ejection surface, having: a facing member with a facing surface to face the ejection surface; and a protrusion provided on the head holder for isolating, from an external space, an ejection space formed between the ejection surface and the facing surface when a tip of the protrusion contacts the facing surface; and a humidifying mechanism having: a circulation passage whose first and second ends are open to the ejection space through openings thereof provided in one of the head and the head holder; and a humidifier for humidifying an air in the passage, the humidifying mechanism being configured to collect an air in the ejection space from the opening of the first end and to supply an air humidified by the humidifier into the ejection space from the opening of the second end.