Liquid Ejecting Head Nozzle Standby Positioning for Solvent Vaporization Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing apparatuses face issues with solvent vaporization from nozzles due to the diffusion of vaporized solvent through caps, leading to moisture retention degradation and solvent evaporation.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with a nozzle formation surface that accommodates a concave portion where the vaporized solvent with a specific gravity greater than air is collected, reducing vaporization by positioning the nozzle formation surface to face downwards during standby, and optionally using a cap portion and liquid component supply unit to further minimize solvent loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cap is used to seal the nozzle formation surface, then moisture retention is improved, but vaporized solvent may still diffuse through the cap to the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The concave portion acts as an intermediary structure between the nozzle formation surface and the external environment. It collects vaporized solvent through gravity and prevents direct diffusion to the outside, while still allowing the cap to perform its sealing function. The concave portion mediates the interaction between the vaporized solvent and the cap, preventing harmful diffusion while maintaining moisture retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful effect of vaporized solvent diffusion into a beneficial collection process. By designing the concave portion to face downward, the vaporized solvent that would otherwise diffuse harmfully is instead guided to collect in the concave portion through gravity, transforming a harmful diffusion process into a useful collection mechanism that protects the nozzle formation surface.
2Loss of substance
If the nozzle formation surface is sealed with a cap, then solvent vaporization is reduced, but the cap's gas barrier properties may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into multiple functional components: the cap provides primary sealing and gas barrier protection, while the concave portion provides secondary protection by collecting and retaining vaporized solvent. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, with the cap handling vaporization prevention and the concave portion handling solvent collection, thereby compensating for any deficiencies in the cap's gas barrier properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The concave portion serves as a pre-prepared collection space that is ready to intercept and contain vaporized solvent before it can escape to the external environment. This beforehand cushioning mechanism ensures that even if the cap's gas barrier properties are insufficient, the vaporized solvent is already captured and retained in the concave portion, preventing solvent loss.
3Loss of substance
If the nozzle formation surface is positioned facing downward during standby, then vaporized component collection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The head accommodation portion merges multiple functions into a single integrated structure: it provides mechanical support for the liquid ejecting head, creates the concave portion for vaporized solvent collection, and enables the downward-facing positioning during standby. By combining these functions into one unified structure, the invention avoids the need for separate complex mechanisms for each function, thereby reducing overall device complexity while achieving effective solvent vaporization prevention.
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 apparatus effectively reduces solvent vaporization from nozzles by collecting vaporized components in a concave portion, maintaining moisture retention and preventing solvent evaporation, even with varying cap barrier properties.
Implementation Method 1
since the specific gravity of the solvent in the vaporized state (vaporized component) is greater than that of air, the vaporized component is moved to the lower side in the vertical direction
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting head which has a nozzle formation surface that ejects a liquid containing a solvent in a vaporized state with a specific gravity greater than that of air onto a recording medium, and is in a standby state in which the nozzle formation surface faces a lower side in the vertical direction at a standby position deviating from a region where the recording medium is disposed during non-ejection of the liquid; and a head accommodation portion which has a concave portion that accommodates at least a part including the nozzle formation surface of the liquid ejecting head in the standby state and is provided so that a bottom portion of the concave portion opposes the nozzle formation surface in a state where the part is accommodated.