Liquid Ejection Maintenance Unit for Ink Scattering Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection apparatuses face issues with ink scattering during maintenance operations, necessitating reduced movement speeds to prevent ink adherence, which affects efficiency and maintenance effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection apparatus with a cap portion, suction pump, and wiping unit that collectively move in a direction to manage ink discharge and wiping, minimizing ink scattering by using a lip portion to contain droplets and a wiping member to absorb excess ink.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the liquid jet unit is moved for performing wiping after liquid is ejected, then the nozzle surface can be cleaned, but the ink adhering to the liquid jet unit scatters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful function (wiping) from the liquid jet unit and assigns it to a dedicated wiping unit. The liquid jet unit is removed from the maintenance mechanism, leaving only the cap portion and suction pump. This extraction eliminates the conflict between ejection and wiping functions, preventing ink scattering while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance mechanism is segmented into distinct functional units: a cap portion for receiving liquid, a suction pump for removing liquid, and a separate wiping unit for cleaning the nozzle surface. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without interfering with others, resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and ink scattering.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the speed of movement of the liquid jet unit is reduced to prevent ink scattering, then ink scattering is minimized, but maintenance efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the wiping function from the liquid jet unit and assigning it to a dedicated wiping unit, the system can operate the wiping unit at optimized speeds without concern for ink scattering from ejection. This allows maintenance to proceed at higher efficiencies while still preventing ink scattering through functional separation.
3Device complexity
If a liquid jet unit is used for both ejection and wiping, then device complexity is reduced, but ink scattering occurs during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the wiping function from the liquid jet unit, leaving a simplified ejection unit and creating a separate maintenance mechanism consisting of a cap portion and wiping unit. This extraction eliminates ink scattering while the overall device complexity remains manageable through functional specialization.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance mechanism is divided into segmented functional components: cap portion for liquid reception, suction pump for liquid removal, and wiping unit for surface cleaning. This segmentation prevents ink scattering by ensuring each component performs its designated function without the conflicts that arise from multi-functional design.
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
The apparatus effectively contains and absorbs ink during maintenance, preventing scattering and enabling efficient nozzle cleaning without reducing movement speeds, thus enhancing maintenance efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a suction pump configured to suck liquid inside the cap portion
Implementation Method 2
a wiping unit configured to wipe the nozzle surface by moving in a first direction together with the cap portion and the suction pump
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection apparatus including a liquid ejection unit including a nozzle surface in which a nozzle opens, the liquid ejection unit configured to eject liquid from the nozzle, a cap portion configured to receive liquid discharged from the liquid ejection unit, a suction pump configured to suck liquid inside the cap portion, and a wiping unit configured to wipe the nozzle surface by moving in a first direction together with the cap portion and the suction pump.