Reading Unit Frame Penetration for Nozzle Check Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recording apparatus configurations, such as those described in JP-A-2021-57826, face challenges in maintaining frame rigidity and cost efficiency due to notch formations for supporting reading units, which can lead to decreased apparatus size and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A recording apparatus design featuring a pair of frames with opening portions for the reading unit to penetrate, allowing for improved rigidity and reduced costs by eliminating the need for notches and optimizing frame spacing, while also incorporating a reading sensor with a housing structure that includes a glass plate and double-sided tape for enhanced reading accuracy and cost-effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If notches are formed in frames to support the reading unit, then the reading unit can be installed, but the rigidity of the frames decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming notches in the frames to receive the reading unit (traditional approach), the patent inverts the approach by having the reading unit protrude from one frame and be received by a corresponding protrusion structure on the other frame. This inversion eliminates notches in the frames, maintaining frame rigidity while achieving the same support function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the reading unit support structure from a two-dimensional notch configuration within the frame plane to a three-dimensional protrusion configuration that extends between frames. The reading unit protrudes in the width direction from one frame and is received by a corresponding structure on the other frame, utilizing spatial dimensionality to avoid frame notches.
2Device complexity
If the reading unit is supported by notches in the frames, then the structure is simple, but the apparatus size increases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the reading unit support function with the frame structure itself. The protrusion structure on one frame and the corresponding receiving structure on the other frame serve dual purposes: maintaining frame rigidity and supporting the reading unit. This eliminates the need for separate notch structures, reducing overall apparatus size while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the reading unit support function from the frame body by using protrusions that extend from one frame. This separation allows the frames to maintain their full structural integrity without sacrificial notches, while the protrusion structures provide the necessary support functionality.
3Measurement precision
If a large glass plate is used in the reading unit housing, then reading accuracy is maintained, but costs increase and apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the glass plate only in the specific region where reading is required, rather than using a large glass plate covering the entire reading unit housing. The glass plate is strategically placed to cover only the necessary reading area, maintaining reading accuracy while reducing material usage and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by implementing a glass plate that covers only the minimum necessary area for accurate reading, rather than excessive coverage. This partial coverage approach maintains sufficient reading accuracy for the nozzle check pattern while reducing the quantity of glass material required.
Data Source
AI summary
A recording apparatus includes a reading unit reading a medium transported through a medium transportation path and a pair of frames supporting the reading unit. The pair of frames includes a first frame and a second frame that is disposed with an interval provided between the first frame and the second frame in the width direction, at least one of the first frame and the second frame is provided with an opening portion penetrable by the reading unit, and the first frame and the second frame support the reading unit penetrating, via the opening portion, the first frame and the second frame while being disposed between the first frame and the second frame.