Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Wiper Cleaning With Posture-Based Force Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid ejecting apparatuses face issues with improper cleaning of wipers due to inconsistent posture holding during the cleaning process, leading to potential wiper deterioration when excessive force is applied.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with a holding mechanism to maintain the wiper's posture during cleaning, adjusting the cleaning force based on specific conditions to prevent deterioration while ensuring effective cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the holding mechanism always holds the posture of the wiper during the cleaning process, then the cleaning is performed properly, but the pressing force promotes the deterioration of the wiper
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between two cleaning modes (first cleaning process with posture holding and second cleaning process without posture holding) based on the ejection amount of liquid. This allows the pressing force to be adjusted adaptively, applying higher force when needed for effective cleaning and lower force when sufficient cleaning is achieved, thereby preventing unnecessary wiper deterioration while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing force parameter is changed between two distinct states: a first pressing force when the posture is held and a second pressing force when the posture is not held. The controller selects between these parameter states based on the ejection amount, optimizing the balance between cleaning effectiveness and wiper protection.
2Strength
If the posture of the wiper is not held during the cleaning process, then the pressing force on the wiper is reduced, but the cleaning is not performed properly
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a dynamic cleaning strategy that switches between holding and not holding the wiper posture based on real-time conditions (ejection amount). This ensures that the optimal cleaning mode is selected for each situation, maintaining high cleaning quality when necessary while preserving wiper durability when possible.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies the full pressing force (first pressing force with posture holding) only when necessary, specifically when the ejection amount exceeds a threshold. For smaller ejection amounts, a reduced pressing force (second pressing force without posture holding) is sufficient, avoiding excessive action that would deteriorate the wiper while still achieving adequate cleaning.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle surface with a nozzle, and an actuator causing liquid to be ejected from the nozzle; a wiper; a cleaner; a first moving mechanism moving the nozzle surface and the wiper relatively; a second moving mechanism moving the wiper and the cleaner relatively; and a controller. The controller executes: a first ejecting process of ejecting the liquid from the nozzle to a medium; a wiping process of wiping the nozzle surface by driving the first moving mechanism to move the wiper and the nozzle surface relatively in a direction parallel to the nozzle surface with the wiper and the nozzle surface being in contact with each other; and a cleaning process of cleaning the wiper by driving the second moving mechanism to move the wiper and the cleaner relatively and bring the wiper and the cleaner into contact with each other.