Print Carriage Recess Structure for Ink Drying Without Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In liquid ejection type recording apparatuses, air from the printing zone blowing mechanism can interfere with the recording head, causing ink to miss its target on the recording medium and affect printing quality, especially in low-temperature environments.
Innovation Solution
A recording apparatus with a carriage having a recessed portion opposed to the blowing port of the blowing unit, which redirects air away from the recording head and medium, ensuring ink reaches its intended position without interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a printing zone blowing mechanism is used to dry ink on the recording medium, then drying performance is improved, but ink positioning accuracy deteriorates due to air interference with the recording head
Solution Approach 1:
The blowing unit is divided into multiple independent blowing ports arranged in the scanning direction, allowing selective activation of different blowing zones. This segmentation enables the air flow to be directed away from the recording head while maintaining effective drying in the printing zone, thus resolving the contradiction between drying performance and ink positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the recording medium receive different treatments: the printing zone receives strong air flow for rapid drying, while the area near the recording head receives minimal or no air flow to prevent ink disturbance. This local differentiation of air flow intensity resolves the contradiction by providing targeted drying where needed without affecting ink placement
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 solution effectively dries the recording liquid on the medium without disrupting the recording operation, maintaining image quality by preventing ink deviation and scattering.
Implementation Method 1
a blowing unit configured to send air to the recording medium supported by the platen
Implementation Method 2
the carriage has a recessed portion opposed to a blowing port of the blowing unit... the carriage has a change portion that changes a direction of the air sent by the blowing unit
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a recording apparatus including: a platen that supports a recording medium conveyed by a conveyance unit; a carriage that supports a recording head so as to be opposed to the platen and moves in a scanning direction; and a blowing unit for sending air to the recording medium supported by the platen, wherein the carriage has a recessed portion opposed to a blowing port of the blowing unit.