Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Cover Units for Cap Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In line printers, paper powder generated during transportation adheres to caps beneath the liquid ejecting heads, leading to capping errors, reduced sealing performance, and increased viscosity of ink, causing nozzle clogs and humidity issues.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with movable caps and cover units that include flat belts to cover the caps during transportation, preventing paper powder from adhering and maintaining humidity by covering the caps with flat belts wound around rollers, which switch between covering and non-covering positions in association with the transport unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If caps are arranged below recording heads during printing operation, then capping function is available, but paper powder adheres to caps causing capping errors
Solution Approach 1:
A transport belt is introduced as an intermediary component between the paper and the caps. The transport belt surface contacts the paper during transport, preventing paper powder from reaching and adhering to the caps, while allowing the caps to perform their capping function when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The transport belt acts as a flexible thin film that covers the caps during paper transport. This flexible barrier prevents paper powder adhesion while allowing the system to maintain its capping capability when the belt is repositioned or removed.
2Reliability
If caps are moved to capping position during printing, then sealing is maintained, but paper powder adhesion causes gaps and capping errors
Solution Approach 1:
The transport belt serves as a protective intermediary that allows caps to remain in capping position while preventing paper powder from reaching the sealing surface. This maintains both sealing performance and capping accuracy simultaneously.
3Productivity
If caps are retreated during printing operation, then paper transport is enabled, but paper powder still adheres to caps
Solution Approach 1:
The transport belt acts as a mediator that enables paper transport while simultaneously protecting the caps from paper powder adhesion, eliminating the need to retreat caps during printing operations.
4Reliability
If ink in caps is used to maintain humidity, then nozzle clogging is prevented, but dried ink causes increased viscosity and clogs
Solution Approach 1:
The transport belt prevents paper powder from contaminating the ink in the caps, maintaining ink quality and preventing premature drying and viscosity increase that would lead to nozzle clogs.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting heads that ejects a liquid onto a target, a transport unit that transports the target, cap units that include caps which are provided opposite to the liquid ejecting heads with a transport path of the target interposed therebetween, and cover units that include cover members. The cap units are movable between a capping position where the caps come into contact with the liquid ejecting heads and a retreated position where the caps are separated from the liquid ejecting heads. The cover units are driven to move the cover members in association with the transport unit such that the cover members are disposed at a closing position where the caps are covered by the cover members when the target is being transported and the cover members are disposed at an opening position that does not cover the caps during a capping operation.