Liquid Ejecting Head Tilt Mechanism for Cap Load Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet type recording apparatuses face challenges with the nozzle-formed surface floating due to cap load and low adhesiveness between the cap and nozzle-formed surface, leading to deformation and increased size and cost of restrainers.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with guide shafts that allow the liquid ejecting head to tilt when the cap is applied, distributing the load to both the restrainer and guide shafts, enabling the use of lower stiffness materials and reducing the size and cost of the restrainer, while improving adhesiveness and preventing deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a restrainer with high stiffness is used to withstand the cap load, then the liquid ejecting head can be restrained from floating, but the restrainer increases in size and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The load bearing function is segmented between the restrainer and the guide shafts. The restrainer provides positional restraint while the guide shafts share the mechanical load, allowing the restrainer to be smaller and less expensive while maintaining effective restraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide shafts act as intermediaries that transfer part of the cap load from the liquid ejecting head to the apparatus body, reducing the burden on the restrainer and enabling a more compact design.
2Reliability
If a load is applied to restrain the restrainer from being deformed, then floating can be prevented, but low adhesiveness between the nozzle-formed surface and the cap is obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint function is segmented between the restrainer (providing positional constraint) and the guide shafts (providing load bearing), allowing the cap to maintain adequate load for adhesion while the restrainer prevents floatation through lateral constraint rather than vertical loading.
3Reliability
If the liquid ejecting head is restrained at the center position, then floating can be prevented, but the head cannot tilt to come into contact with the guide shafts to distribute the load
Solution Approach 1:
The restrainer is positioned asymmetrically at the end of the liquid ejecting head rather than at the center, enabling the head to tilt and contact the guide shafts for load distribution while the restrainer maintains floatation prevention through lateral constraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid ejecting head is allowed to tilt dynamically to contact the guide shafts under cap load, creating a adaptive load path that distributes forces between the restrainer and guide shafts based on operational conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a liquid ejecting head that has a nozzle-formed surface; guide shafts that guide the liquid ejecting head in a direction in which the liquid ejecting head is lifted and lowered; a cap that is lifted and lowered in the direction and covers the nozzle-formed surface; and a restrainer that restrains the liquid ejecting head against the cap at a position shifted from the center of the cap when viewed from the direction.