Single Motor Cord Mechanism for Printer Head and Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses require two separate horizontally moving mechanisms for discharge heads and maintenance parts, leading to increased size and cost due to parallel arrangement in a cross-section orthogonal to the conveying direction.
Innovation Solution
A moving device with a single motor-driven mechanism that alternately moves a discharge head for printing and a maintenance part by utilizing a cord system with restriction switches, allowing both components to be positioned in different horizontal directions using a shared rotating frame system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If two separate horizontally moving mechanisms are provided for discharge heads and maintenance parts, then both components can be moved independently, but the apparatus size and cost increase due to parallel arrangement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate horizontally moving mechanisms into a single shared mechanism. The discharge head and maintenance part are both mounted on the same moving mechanism, allowing them to be moved horizontally along the conveying direction simultaneously or independently through a single drive system, thereby reducing apparatus size and complexity while maintaining independent movement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The single horizontally moving mechanism is designed to serve multiple functions: it can move the discharge head for printing operations, move the maintenance part for nozzle maintenance, and accommodate both components on the same structural platform. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated mechanisms for each component
2Adaptability or versatility
If two horizontally moving mechanisms are arranged side by side, then discharge head and maintenance part can be moved independently, but the apparatus width increases in the cross-section orthogonal to conveying direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the discharge head and maintenance part from a side-by-side arrangement in the cross-sectional direction to a stacked arrangement along the vertical direction. Both components share the same horizontal moving mechanism and are positioned at different heights, allowing independent positioning capability while minimizing the apparatus width in the cross-section orthogonal to the conveying direction
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Both end parts of a cord are fixed to a maintenance mounting frame, and an intermediate part of the cord is laid on a first body-side rotating member, a head-side rotating member and a second body-side rotating member. Here, when a motor is driven, the movement restriction of the cord is released and a movement of a head mounting frame is restricted, whereby only the maintenance mounting frame moves together with a maintenance part while the movement of the head mounting frame is restricted. Further, when the motor is driven, a movement of the cord is restricted and the movement restriction of the head mounting frame is released, whereby only the head mounting frame moves together with a discharge head while a movement of the maintenance part is restricted.