Printhead Maintenance Cleaning with Vertical Contact Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning methods for maintenance members in printing apparatuses fail to effectively clean the target site without contaminating other areas, as they do not adequately control the height position of the cleaning member relative to the maintenance member.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with an elevating mechanism that moves the cleaning execution unit and printing head integrally in a vertical direction, allowing the cleaning execution unit to contact the top of the cleaning target site while avoiding contamination of other areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the cleaning member is provided to clean the maintenance member, then the cleaning target site can be cleaned, but the cleaning member may contact and contaminate areas other than the cleaning target site
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member is made movable in the vertical direction relative to the maintenance member through an elevating mechanism. During cleaning operation, the cleaning member can be lowered to contact the cleaning target site, and during non-operational states, it can be raised to avoid contact with other areas, thus dynamically adapting its position to prevent unnecessary contamination
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member's position is controlled not only in the horizontal plane but also in the vertical dimension. By adding vertical movement capability through the elevating mechanism, the system gains an additional degree of freedom to precisely position the cleaning member only over the cleaning target site, preventing contact with surrounding areas
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the cleaning member is located at a retracted position separated upward, then contamination of other areas is prevented, but the cleaning target site cannot be cleaned
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the vertical position of the cleaning member based on operational requirements. When cleaning is needed, the elevating mechanism lowers the cleaning member to contact the cleaning target site; when cleaning is not needed, the cleaning member is raised to a retracted position, thus dynamically switching between cleaning and protection states
Solution Approach 2:
The elevating mechanism is pre-configured to enable controlled movement of the cleaning member in the vertical direction. This preliminary setup allows the cleaning member to be positioned accurately at the cleaning target site before cleaning begins, ensuring both effective cleaning and prevention of contamination during the operation
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a printing apparatus including: a printing head including at least one or more nozzle blocks each having a nozzle opening plane from which ink is discharged downward; and a maintenance part including a maintenance member for maintenance on the nozzle opening plane from below the printing head, especially, relates to a technique for cleaning the maintenance member. A cleaning execution unit is mounted on the printing head in such a manner as to face the maintenance member from above. During a cleaning process, the cleaning execution unit is moved up and down integrally with the printing head in the vertical direction relative to the maintenance member to come into contact with the top of the cleaning target site. By doing so, the top of the cleaning target site is cleaned.