Recording Device Guide Unit Surface Energy Gradient
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Solution Overview
Problem
Recording devices face a challenge in efficiently guiding waste ink to recovery units without increasing the device's height, as steeper inclination surfaces are required for reliable flow but result in a larger device dimension.
Innovation Solution
A recording device with a guide unit that utilizes a receiving surface with varying surface energy along its length, where the surface energy increases closer to the recovery unit, allowing waste ink to be guided effectively without the need for increased inclination, combined with additional guiding mechanisms and heating to enhance wettability and flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inclination surface is made steeper to ensure waste ink flows reliably, then the waste ink recovery reliability is improved, but the height dimension of the recording device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the surface energy parameter of the guide surface to create a gradient that drives waste ink flow. By making the surface energy at the upstream end higher than at the downstream end, the waste ink is naturally guided along the surface without requiring a steep inclination, thus resolving the contradiction between flow reliability and compact height
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical gravity-driven flow (requiring steep inclination) with a surface energy gradient mechanism. This substitution allows waste ink to be guided effectively through surface chemistry rather than mechanical slope, reducing the required device height while maintaining flow reliability
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
The solution enables efficient guidance of waste ink to recovery units while reducing the device's height, preventing stagnation and improving energy consumption by using surface energy gradients and heating to enhance wettability.
Implementation Method 1
when surface energy at a first position on the receiving surface for the waste liquid is first surface energy, and surface energy at a second position on the receiving surface for the waste liquid is the second surface energy, the second position being closer to the recovery unit than the first position, the second surface energy is larger than the first surface energy
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes a recording unit, a platen unit, a maintenance tank, and a guide unit. The recording unit ejects ink onto a medium. The platen unit includes a support surface that supports the medium and a discard portion in which waste ink is discarded. The maintenance tank recovers the waste ink. The guide unit has a receiving surface, and guides the waste ink to the maintenance tank. Second surface energy is larger than first surface energy when the first surface energy indicates surface energy at a first position on the receiving surface with respect to the waste ink and the second surface energy indicates surface energy at a second position closer to the maintenance tank than the first position.