Movable Purge Tray Layout for Space-Saving Nozzle Purging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing inkjet printers face issues with nozzle drying and contamination, leading to malfunction, and the purge trays required to collect purged fluids are bulky, occupying valuable space.

Innovation Solution

A compact purge tray that moves underneath the print unit in the printing range direction, collecting purged fluids and allowing for efficient nozzle purging and cleaning, with a wiping unit to remove residual fluids, minimizing space requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a purge tray with an opening at least as large as the nozzle area is used to collect purged fluids, then the purged fluids can be effectively collected, but the purge tray becomes relatively big and occupies excessive space when not in use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepurge fluid collection effectivenessVSAvoidpurge tray space requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The purge tray is divided into multiple sections corresponding to different nozzle groups. Each section can be independently positioned under the relevant nozzles, allowing the tray to be compact when not in use and adequately sized when needed for collection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The purge tray is made movable rather than stationary, allowing it to be dynamically positioned under the print unit during purging operations and retracted or stored in a compact configuration during printing operations, thus reducing space requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Volume of moving object

If the purge tray is made compact to reduce space requirements, then space within the printing system is reduced, but the tray may not be able to collect all purged fluids effectively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepurge tray space requirementVSAvoidpurge fluid collection effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The purge tray is segmented into multiple zones that can be sequentially or selectively positioned under different nozzle groups, allowing a compact overall structure to provide adequate collection area when deployed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The purge tray utilizes the vertical dimension and movable positioning capability to provide sufficient collection area during purging operations, while maintaining a compact footprint when retracted, effectively using three-dimensional space rather than just horizontal area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20250360713A1Printing Device and Method for Maintaining a Printing Device

Publication Date: 2025.11.27 CANON KK

AI summary

A printing device includes a print unit configured to, in a printing operation, apply a predetermined pattern of fluid onto a recording medium, the print unit including a plurality of nozzles. The printing device includes a purge tray, the purge tray being configured to, in a purging operation, collect fluid purged from the print unit, and a recording medium transport unit configured to transport the recording medium in a transport direction. The print unit has a length extending in a printing range direction, the printing range direction being perpendicular to the transport direction. The purge tray has a length extending in the printing range direction, the length of the purge tray being smaller than the length of the print unit. The purge tray is configured to, in the purging operation, move underneath the print unit in the printing range direction.