Printing Apparatus Circuit Case Venting for Ink Drying Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face issues with heat dissipation, where the air used for cooling the circuit board can cause temperature-related failures in the discharge head, such as ink drying, due to the airflow pattern around the nozzles.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus design featuring a circuit case with an air intake port and an exhaust port positioned to allow efficient heat dissipation, where the exhaust fan is installed at the exhaust port to direct heated air away from the discharge head, maintaining the temperature of the circuit components and preventing ink drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If an air blowing unit is installed above the carriage to cool the heat dissipation unit, then the head driving circuit can be cooled effectively, but the heated air flows around the nozzles in the discharge head causing ink drying and discharge failure
Solution Approach 1:
The air blowing unit is extracted from the carriage structure and repositioned to a fixed location above the carriage movement region. This separates the cooling function from the moving carriage, allowing independent optimization of both the cooling system and the discharge head environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The air blowing direction is changed from vertical (downward) to horizontal (frontward relative to carriage movement). This dimensional change in airflow direction allows the cooling air to bypass the discharge head nozzles, preventing ink drying while still effectively cooling the heat dissipation unit.
2Loss of energy
If the exhaust fan is installed to cool the circuit case, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but vibration from the fan may affect the discharge head performance
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust fan is positioned asymmetrically relative to the circuit case, with the air intake port and exhaust port located at different positions. This asymmetric arrangement optimizes the airflow path for heat dissipation while positioning the fan to minimize vibration transmission to the discharge head.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit case structure acts as an intermediary between the exhaust fan and the discharge head. The fan is installed on the circuit case rather than directly on the carriage, creating a structural buffer that isolates vibration from the sensitive discharge head while maintaining effective heat dissipation.
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
This configuration effectively cools the circuit components, preventing temperature-related failures and maintaining the discharge performance of the printing apparatus, while minimizing the risk of ink drying and vibration transmission to the discharge heads.
Implementation Method 1
an exhaust fan configured to exhaust, to outside of the circuit case, heat that is inside the circuit case is installed, the heat being generated by the head control board
Implementation Method 2
The circuit case includes an air intake port in one surface thereof, with the one surface intersecting with the scanning direction, and includes an exhaust port in another surface thereof, with the other surface intersecting with the scanning direction
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus includes a discharge head configured to discharge a liquid toward a medium, a head control board configured to control the discharge head, a circuit case having a box-like shape configured to house the head control board, and a carriage configured to reciprocate in a scanning direction while supporting the discharge head and the circuit case. The circuit case includes an air intake port in one surface of the circuit case, with the one surface intersecting with the scanning direction, and an exhaust port in another surface of the circuit case, with the other surface intersecting with the scanning direction. At the exhaust port, an exhaust fan configured to exhaust, to outside of the circuit case, heat that is inside the circuit case is installed, the heat being generated by the head control board.