Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Carriage Cover and Receiving Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing liquid ejecting apparatuses face performance quality issues due to variations in coupling and attachment work during the detachment and attachment of the liquid supply coupling portion from the carriage, leading to potential contamination and reduced reliability.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a liquid receiving portion that is larger than the nozzle surface, positioned to receive any leaking liquids during detachment, and a carriage cover that blocks movement to maintain the liquid ejecting head at a detachment position, ensuring easy and clean detachment of the liquid supply coupling portion. Additionally, the control portion manages the carriage movement to keep the liquid ejecting head operational during the detachment process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the liquid supply coupling portion is detachably coupled to the liquid ejecting head, then the liquid supply coupling portion can be replaced, but liquid may leak during detachment causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of liquid leakage during detachment into a beneficial containment system. The liquid receiving portion is specifically designed to catch and contain any liquid that leaks during the detachment process, transforming the potential contamination hazard into a controlled situation where the liquid is collected safely rather than spreading to contaminate other components.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid receiving portion acts as an intermediary element between the liquid supply coupling portion and the surrounding environment. It serves as a buffer zone that intercepts liquid during detachment, preventing direct contact between the liquid and sensitive components like the liquid ejecting head or carriage, thus mediating the harmful interaction.
2Ease of operation
If the carriage is movable during detachment, then the liquid ejecting head can be positioned, but movement may cause misalignment or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by positioning the liquid ejecting head at a predetermined detachment position before the actual detachment of the liquid supply coupling portion occurs. The control portion ensures the liquid ejecting head is already correctly positioned and stable before any detachment movement begins, preventing misalignment or damage during the critical detachment phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The control portion monitors the position and state of the liquid ejecting head during the detachment process, providing feedback control to maintain proper alignment. The system can detect when the liquid ejecting head reaches the detachment position and adjust movements accordingly, ensuring reliable positioning throughout the detachment sequence.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the liquid receiving portion is larger than the nozzle surface, then liquid can be contained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid receiving portion is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as a liquid containment reservoir, provides structural support for the detachment mechanism, and defines the detachment position for the liquid ejecting head. By making this single component multi-functional, the patent achieves effective liquid containment without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the liquid receiving portion with the existing carriage or housing structure, combining what could be separate components into an integrated design. This merging approach allows the liquid receiving portion to be larger than the nozzle surface for effective containment while avoiding the complexity of adding it as a completely separate, additional component.
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a carriage that mounts a liquid ejecting head provided with a nozzle surface in which nozzles to eject a liquid are formed, and is configured to move the liquid ejecting head between an ejection area used to cause the liquid ejecting head to eject the liquid onto a medium and a maintenance area used to perform maintenance of the liquid ejecting head, and a liquid receiving portion that has a size equal to or larger than the nozzle surface, is opposed to the nozzle surface located at a detachment position defined in the maintenance area, and receives the liquid discharged from the nozzles when detaching a liquid supply coupling portion detachably coupled to the liquid ejecting head.