Printing Apparatus Contact Reducing Member for Tube Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing printing apparatuses face issues with contact between the waste liquid container and the liquid supply tube during attachment and detachment, leading to problems in the liquid supply tube, which is undesirable.
Innovation Solution
The printing apparatus incorporates a contact reducing member between the waste liquid container and the liquid supply tube, with the waste liquid container being coupled to a nozzle that extends in the gravity direction, increasing the clearance distance and reducing the likelihood of contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the waste liquid container is positioned to overlap with the movement path when viewed from the transport direction, then the discharge port can effectively discharge waste liquid, but contact between the waste liquid container and the liquid supply tube may occur during attachment and detachment
Solution Approach 1:
A contact reducing member is introduced as an intermediary component between the waste liquid container and the liquid supply tube. This member acts as a spacer or protective barrier that prevents direct contact between the waste liquid container and the liquid supply tube during attachment and detachment operations, while still allowing the waste liquid container to be positioned in the overlapping region for effective discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact reducing member extends in a direction opposite to the gravity direction (vertically upward from the discharge port), creating spatial separation in the vertical dimension. This dimensional approach allows the waste liquid container to maintain its horizontal overlap with the movement path for discharge functionality while preventing contact with the liquid supply tube through vertical spacing.
2Ease of operation
If the nozzle extends in the direction opposite to the transport direction, then the discharge port can discharge waste liquid to the waste liquid container, but the clearance distance between the waste liquid container and the liquid supply tube is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing horizontal clearance distance, the contact reducing member utilizes the vertical dimension by extending in the gravity direction. This creates clearance through vertical spacing rather than horizontal separation, allowing the nozzle to extend opposite to the transport direction for effective discharge while maintaining adequate clearance through vertical positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact reducing member serves as a vertical spacer between the waste liquid container and the liquid supply tube, creating clearance distance through its physical presence in the vertical space. This intermediary structure enables the discharge configuration to function effectively while maintaining the necessary separation distance.
Data Source
AI summary
A holding portion holding a waste liquid container is disposed at a position at which a waste liquid container region overlapping the waste liquid container in a region inside a printing apparatus and a movement path of a carriage overlap when viewed from a transport direction, above a transport path and downstream of the movement path of the carriage in the transport direction, a liquid supply tube overlaps the waste liquid container region when viewed from the transport direction, and a contact reducing member reducing contact between the waste liquid container and the liquid supply tube is disposed between the liquid supply tube and the waste liquid container region.