Recording Head Positioning via Reference Shaft in Inkjet Apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses with liquid-ejection recording heads face challenges in achieving high positioning accuracy for recording heads, particularly during replacement, due to complex configurations involving multiple head holders and positioning references, which complicates the process and reduces ease of maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a head holder, a carriage, a guide member, a reference member, and an adjuster, where the recording head has nozzles for ejecting liquid droplets, and the reference member is disposed parallel to the guide member to facilitate high-accuracy positioning of the head holder by using a reference shaft member and position adjusters, allowing for easy replacement and alignment of recording heads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If positioning faces and pins are used to position the carriage of head holder, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A reference shaft member is introduced as an intermediary positioning element. The reference shaft member extends in the sub-scanning direction and serves as a common reference for multiple head holders, simplifying the positioning structure while maintaining high positioning accuracy through the intermediate reference element.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference shaft member serves multiple functions: it acts as a positioning reference for multiple head holders simultaneously, provides alignment in the sub-scanning direction, and enables easy replacement of recording heads. This multi-functional element replaces the need for separate positioning faces and pins for each head holder.
2Manufacturing precision
If positioning portions are provided for each head holder, then positioning accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple positioning portions for different head holders are merged into a single reference shaft member. This unified positioning structure allows all head holders to be positioned relative to the same reference, simplifying the replacement operation while maintaining consistent positioning accuracy across multiple head holders.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference shaft member serves as a universal positioning reference for all head holders, enabling a single standardized positioning mechanism to handle multiple head holders. This universality simplifies the replacement process as users only need to align with the single reference shaft member regardless of which head holder is being replaced.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple head holders are positioned using separate positioning references, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single reference shaft member serves as a common positioning reference for multiple head holders, providing relative positioning accuracy without requiring separate positioning references for each head holder. This universal reference element simplifies the overall positioning structure while maintaining the ability to accurately position multiple head holders relative to each other.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference shaft member acts as an intermediary element that mediates the positioning relationship between multiple head holders. Instead of requiring direct positioning references between each pair of head holders, the reference shaft member provides a common reference point that simplifies the relative positioning of all head holders.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a head holder, a carriage, a guide member, a reference member, an intermediate member, and an adjuster. The recording head has a plurality of nozzles to eject liquid droplets. The head holder holds the recording head. The carriage is reciprocally movable in a main scanning direction and holds the head holder. The guide member is disposed along the main scanning direction to guide the carriage along the main scanning direction. The reference member is disposed parallel to the guide member in the carriage to hold the head holder. The intermediate member is displaceably disposed between the head holder and the carriage and held by the carriage. The adjuster adjusts a position of the head holder by displacing the intermediate member.