Printing Apparatus Waste Liquid Container Positioning
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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 is designed with a discharge portion that includes a nozzle extending in the gravity direction, allowing for increased clearance between the waste liquid container and the liquid supply tube, and a holding portion that positions the waste liquid container to avoid contact with the liquid supply tube during attachment and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the waste liquid container is positioned to overlap with the movement path when viewed from the transport direction, then space utilization is improved, but contact between the waste liquid container and liquid supply tube occurs during attachment and detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the waste liquid container and liquid supply tube such that they overlap when viewed from the transport direction (planar arrangement), but separates them in the gravity direction (vertical dimension). The liquid supply tube is located between the movement path and the waste liquid container region when viewed from the gravity direction, preventing contact while maintaining space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding portion acts as an intermediary structure that positions the waste liquid container in a specific location. It holds the waste liquid container configured to contain waste liquid discharged from the printing head, and its positioning mechanism ensures the container does not contact the liquid supply tube during attachment and detachment operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If the discharge portion is positioned to discharge waste liquid to the waste liquid container, then waste liquid disposal is improved, but the discharge portion may interfere with the movement path of the carriage
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge portion is designed to be movable between a first position (downstream of the movement path) and a second position (upstream of the movement path). This dynamic positioning allows the discharge portion to be out of the way during carriage movement while still being able to discharge waste liquid to the container when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge portion is segmented into a movable component that can change its position relative to the movement path. The discharge port is formed in the discharge portion, and the entire assembly can move between positions to avoid interference with the carriage while maintaining waste liquid disposal functionality.
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, the waste liquid container region is spaced apart from the liquid supply tube, and a discharge portion including a nozzle in which a discharge port for discharging the waste liquid is formed is provided to be movable relative to the holding portion.