Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Dynamic Receiving Portion Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid ejecting apparatuses face inefficiencies in receiving ink or liquid ejected during preliminary ejections, leading to insufficient or excessive suction, particularly when the same method is applied for all types of ejections, resulting in incomplete reception or waste management issues.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with multiple receiving portions, including a first receiving portion connected to a waste liquid chamber and a second receiving portion with a larger atmospheric exposure, allows the control unit to dynamically switch the receiving portion based on the type of preliminary ejection, ensuring efficient reception and evaporation of waste liquid, thereby optimizing waste management and apparatus design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single receiving portion is used for all preliminary ejections, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of liquid reception is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving system is divided into multiple receiving portions (first receiving portion for maintenance ejections, second receiving portion for preliminary ejections before printing). Each receiving portion is optimized for its specific function, with the first receiving portion having smaller open area for controlled suction and the second receiving portion having larger open area for efficient liquid reception during printing operations.
2Ease of operation
If the same suctioning method is used for all preliminary ejections, then the ease of operation is improved, but the productivity is reduced due to insufficient or excessive suctioning
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit dynamically selects which receiving portion to use based on the type of preliminary ejection being performed. For maintenance operations, the first receiving portion is used with controlled suction; for preliminary ejections before printing, the second receiving portion is used with larger open area for faster liquid reception, thereby optimizing productivity for different operational contexts.
3Reliability
If waste liquid is stored in a large chamber, then the reliability of waste liquid containment is improved, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The second receiving portion with its larger open area is positioned to allow waste liquid to be suctioned out more efficiently. This extraction capability reduces the accumulation of waste liquid in the waste liquid chamber, allowing for a smaller chamber size while maintaining reliable containment through the coordinated operation of both receiving portions.
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 configuration allows for appropriate reception of liquid ejected outside the medium, prolongs the life or reduces the size of the waste liquid chamber, simplifies the apparatus, and enables successive maintenance and printing operations by distributing the reception of liquid across multiple regions, promoting efficient evaporation and reducing the need for separate receiving portions.
Implementation Method 1
the second receiving portion can repeatedly receive liquid by promoting evaporation of the received waste liquid since the second receiving portion has an area open to the atmosphere which is larger than that of the first receiving portion
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head configured to eject liquid; a control unit that makes the liquid ejecting head execute a plurality of types of preliminary ejection, which are ejection of liquid onto a medium and ejection of liquid onto an area outside the medium; and a plurality of receiving portions configured to receive liquid ejected by preliminary ejection, wherein the control unit changes the receiving portion that receives liquid ejected by preliminary ejection depending on the types of preliminary ejection.