Liquid Ejection Capping Device with Top-Entry Cap Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection apparatuses impose a significant burden on operators due to the lateral attachment and detachment of the cap member, which is cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A capping device with a cap that forms a closed space by contacting the liquid ejection head in a direction with both horizontal and gravity components, and a cap moving section that moves the cap in a direction with a gravity component, allowing easy attachment and detachment from the upper end of a guide section, along with a housing that enables the cap to be attached and detached while the liquid ejection head is at a separation position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cap member is located at a low position and requires lateral attachment and detachment, then the cap can be securely positioned, but the operational burden on the worker increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cap attachment/detachment operation is moved from a lateral direction to a vertical direction. The cap is attached and detached from above by pushing it downward onto the attachment portion, changing the operational dimension from horizontal to vertical, which significantly improves ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is extracted from its previous lateral positioning mechanism and repositioned to be attached from above. The attachment portion is positioned at the rear end of the cap in a state closer to the liquid ejection head, allowing the cap to be removed and attached from the upper side without complex lateral maneuvers.
2Ease of operation
If the cap is attached from above, then the operational burden is reduced, but the risk of interference with the liquid ejection head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid ejection head is moved to a retraction position before the cap is attached. This preliminary action of retracting the liquid ejection head prevents interference during the cap attachment operation, allowing the cap to be safely attached from above without risking contact with the liquid ejection head.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically coordinates the positions of the cap and liquid ejection head during the attachment operation. The liquid ejection head is positioned at a retraction position when the cap is being attached, and can be moved to a printing position after attachment, creating a dynamic sequence that prevents interference.
3Ease of repair
If the cap member is made removable for maintenance, then the maintenance process is simplified, but the time required for attachment and detachment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is designed with a simple attachment portion that allows for quick self-attachment and self-detachment. The attachment portion positioned at the rear end enables the cap to be easily attached from above by a simple pushing motion, and can be quickly removed by pulling it upward, reducing the time required for maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is designed as a separate, removable component with a dedicated attachment portion. This segmentation allows the cap to be independently removed and attached without affecting other components, enabling quick maintenance while minimizing the time required for attachment and detachment operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A capping device includes a cap configured to form a closed space by contacting a liquid ejection head configured to eject liquid from a nozzle in a first direction having a horizontal direction component and a gravity direction component, the nozzle opening up into the closed space, and a cap moving section configured to move the cap in a second direction different from the first direction while holding the cap, wherein the second direction has a gravity direction component, the cap moving section has a guide section extending in the second direction, and the cap has a guided section guided by the guide section and is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the cap moving section from an upper end of the guide section.