Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Mist and Contaminant Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid ejecting apparatuses, such as ink jet recording devices, face image quality degradation due to mist contacting contaminants like fluff on the recording medium, as existing solutions only adsorb fluff without addressing mist contamination.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with integrated mist-collecting and contaminant-collecting units, featuring collection openings that span the width direction of the transport unit, blowing units to direct air towards the collection openings, and optional sticky members, destaticizing units, compressed air, and vibration or heating units to effectively remove contaminants and mist.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fluff is adsorbed on the cloth using a liquid ejecting apparatus, then contaminant removal is improved, but mist generated during ejection contacts the contaminants and causes image quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the collection function into two separate units: a contaminant-collecting unit positioned upstream to remove fluff from the medium, and a mist-collecting unit positioned downstream to capture mist generated during ejection. This segmentation prevents mist from contacting contaminants, thereby resolving the image quality degradation issue while maintaining both contaminant removal and mist suppression capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces air flow as an intermediary mechanism that transports both contaminants and mist to respective collection units. The air flow acts as a mediator that separates the paths of contaminants and mist, preventing their contact while efficiently collecting both, thus resolving the technical contradiction between contaminant removal and mist suppression
2Manufacturing precision
If a contaminant-collecting unit is added upstream of the ejection area, then contaminant collection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention designs both collection units to share common functional elements, including air flow generation mechanisms and collection openings, allowing a single system to perform dual functions of contaminant and mist collection. This multi-functionality approach reduces the actual increase in device complexity while maintaining effective contaminant collection
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the contaminant-collecting unit and mist-collecting unit into an integrated system with coordinated operation. By merging control mechanisms and utilizing shared structural elements, the invention minimizes the complexity increase that would result from adding a separate contaminant collection function
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
This solution effectively suppresses image quality degradation by collecting both mist and contaminants, reducing power consumption and maintaining a clean recording environment by directing air to prevent mist accumulation and using adhesive or destaticizing methods to ensure reliable contaminant removal.
Implementation Method 1
blowing units to direct air towards the collection openings
Implementation Method 2
blowing units to direct air towards the collection openings
Implementation Method 3
optional sticky members
Implementation Method 4
optional destaticizing units
Implementation Method 5
optional vibration or heating units
Implementation Method 6
optional vibration or heating units
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus (1) includes a transport unit (3) that transports a medium, an ejecting unit (4) that ejects a liquid onto the medium in an ejection area, a mist-collecting unit (19) that collects mist that occurs with the ejection of the liquid from the ejecting unit, and a contaminant-collecting unit (20) that is formed upstream of the ejection area in a transport direction of the medium and that collects contaminants that have attached to the medium.