Printing Apparatus Carriage Regulation Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printing apparatuses face issues with carriage uplift and drop-off due to changes in the head-to-paper gap, which affect recovery operations and image quality, especially when handling different types of printing media.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus design that includes a carriage with a sliding member and a guide member featuring a first and second surface, along with a regulation unit positioned away from the guide rail, allowing for adjustable head-to-paper distance while maintaining a consistent clearance to prevent uplift and drop-off.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the head-to-paper gap is increased to accommodate thick printing media, then the adaptability to different printing media types is improved, but the carriage becomes prone to uplift during recovery operations and drop-off during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The regulation mechanism is segmented into a fixed regulation unit attached to the carriage and a movable regulation surface on the guide rail. This segmentation allows the regulation unit to maintain a consistent reference point while the guide rail moves vertically to accommodate different media types, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rail serves multiple functions: it guides the carriage movement, provides a movable regulation surface for head-to-paper gap adjustment, and maintains a consistent clearance with the regulation unit. This multi-functionality allows the system to adapt to different media types while maintaining carriage stability through the universal clearance mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the clearance between the regulation unit and the guide rail is increased to allow head-to-paper gap switching, then the adaptability to different printing media is improved, but the carriage uplift during recovery operations occurs when cap pressure exceeds carriage weight
Solution Approach 1:
The regulation unit is preliminarily positioned at a fixed location on the carriage before operation. This preliminary positioning ensures that during recovery operations, the regulation unit maintains its reference position relative to the guide rail, preventing carriage uplift even when cap pressure exceeds carriage weight, while still allowing head-to-paper gap switching through guide rail movement.
3Productivity
If the carriage is made lighter to improve scanning speed, then the productivity is improved, but the carriage becomes more susceptible to uplift during recovery operations when cap pressure exceeds carriage weight
Solution Approach 1:
The regulation unit acts as a counterweight mechanism by maintaining a consistent clearance with the guide rail. This clearance creates a mechanical constraint that counteracts the uplift force generated when cap pressure exceeds carriage weight, allowing the carriage to be lightweight for high scanning speed while maintaining resistance to unintended movement during recovery operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the present invention is a printing apparatus including: a printing head that includes a nozzle ejecting ink for printing on a printing medium conveyed in a conveyance direction; a carriage on which the printing head is mounted and that reciprocally moves in a main scanning direction; a sliding member attached to the carriage such that the carriage can change a position in a vertical direction; and a guide member that includes a first surface with which the sliding member is brought into contact and a second surface as a back surface of the first surface and guides the movement of the main scanning direction of the carriage, in which the sliding member includes a first regulation unit facing the second surface in a position away from the second surface at a predetermined distance.