Maintenance Device for Liquid Discharge Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Maintenance devices for liquid discharge apparatuses face issues with adherent substances accumulating on caps, leading to incomplete capping, reduced performance, and increased waste due to excessive cleaning liquid usage and improper handling of used cleaning liquids.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance device with a cap, storage for cleaning liquid, supply and collection systems, and a receptacle to manage cleaning liquid overflow, ensuring effective cleaning of adherent substances and efficient liquid reuse, while preventing waste accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cleaning liquid is supplied in excess of the cap's inner volume to ensure complete cleaning of adherent substances, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but cleaning liquid waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a collection device that recovers cleaning liquid after it has performed its cleaning function. The cleaning liquid, now containing dissolved adherent substances, is collected and stored in a storage device for later disposal or reuse, rather than being immediately discarded. This recovery process reduces the overall consumption of cleaning liquid while maintaining effective cleaning performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a receptacle as an intermediary component between the cap and the collection device. This receptacle temporarily holds the cleaning liquid as it overflows from the cap, allowing for controlled collection and measurement. The intermediary receptacle ensures that excess cleaning liquid is properly channeled and collected, preventing uncontrolled waste while maintaining the necessary overflow for complete cleaning.
2Device complexity
If a simple cap structure is used to maintain the head, then device complexity is reduced, but adherent substance accumulation on the cap occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance device is segmented into distinct functional components: a cap for capping, a receptacle for receiving cleaning liquid, a collection device for gathering used cleaning liquid, and a storage device for holding collected liquid. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, with the cap focusing solely on capping while the other components handle cleaning and waste management, preventing adherent substance accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary cleaning action by supplying cleaning liquid to the cap before capping operations. The cleaning liquid flows over the cap surface, dissolving and removing adherent substances in advance. This preliminary cleaning prevents accumulation that would otherwise compromise capping completeness, ensuring the cap remains effective for its primary function.
3Reliability
If cleaning liquid is continuously supplied to the cap, then adherent substances are effectively removed, but cleaning liquid consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers cleaning liquid after use by collecting it in a collection device and storing it in a storage device. This recovery process allows the cleaning liquid to be reused or properly disposed of, reducing overall consumption. The continuous supply of cleaning liquid for effective cap cleanliness is maintained, but the quantity consumed is reduced through the recovery and storage mechanism.
4Device complexity
If no collection system is implemented for used cleaning liquid, then device complexity is minimized, but waste storage capacity is quickly exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid management system is segmented into a receptacle for receiving cleaning liquid, a collection device for gathering used liquid, and a storage device for holding collected liquid. This segmentation creates an efficient liquid management pathway that extends waste storage life by properly collecting and storing used cleaning liquid, preventing waste storage capacity from being quickly exceeded.
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
Prevents adherent substance transfer to nozzle surfaces, maintains cap performance, reduces cleaning liquid consumption, and extends waste storage life by efficiently managing cleaning liquid usage and collection.
Implementation Method 1
the cleaning liquid overflows the cap. Thus, the device cleans a portion of the cap contacting the nozzle surface of the head
Data Source
AI summary
A maintenance device configured to maintain a head configured to discharge a first liquid, the maintenance device includes a cap configured to contact a nozzle surface of the head, a storage configured to store a second liquid to be supplied into the cap, a supply device configured to supply the second liquid into the cap, a receptacle configured to receive the second liquid supplied into and overflown from the cap, and a collection device configured to collect the second liquid received by the receptacle.