Reversible Printhead Shroud with Notched Ends and Ridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers with stationary media wide printhead assemblies are prone to print quality defects and damage from paper or other print media contact, and the handling of interchangeable printhead modules increases the risk of damage during shipping and installation.
Innovation Solution
A new, more robust printhead assembly shroud with symmetrical openings and elongated protrusions is developed to protect the printheads, featuring ridges that block media intrusions and strengthen the shroud, allowing it to be reversible for enhanced protection and ease of handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective shroud is used to cover the printheads, then the protection against media contact is improved, but the access to printheads for maintenance and cleaning becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is divided into a stationary part attached to the printhead assembly and a movable part that can be independently actuated. This segmentation allows the movable portion to be opened for maintenance access while the stationary part remains in place to provide continuous protection against media contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud incorporates a movable portion that can transition between closed and open states. This dynamic feature enables the shroud to adapt its configuration based on operational needs - closed during printing to protect printheads, and open during maintenance to facilitate access.
2Reliability
If the shroud covers a larger area to protect more printheads, then the protection coverage is improved, but the risk of damage during handling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is divided into modular stationary and movable portions that can be independently supported. This segmentation allows each portion to be structurally optimized - the stationary part provides broad coverage while the movable part can be designed for easy handling and attachment/detachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable portion acts as an intermediary protective element that can be attached or detached as needed. This intermediary structure extends protection coverage to additional printheads while maintaining handling robustness through its modular nature - it can be removed or repositioned without compromising the structural integrity of the entire printhead assembly.
3Manufacturing precision
If the printhead-to-media spacing is reduced for optimal print quality, then the print quality is improved, but the vulnerability to media contact damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable shroud portion serves as an intermediary protective barrier between the printheads and the media. It can be positioned to provide close spacing for high-quality printing while simultaneously acting as a protective shield that prevents direct media contact with the vulnerable printhead surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud provides preliminary protection by creating a physical barrier before media contact can occur. The movable portion can be positioned to maintain the necessary close spacing for print quality while preemptively blocking media from reaching the printhead surfaces, thus preventing damage before it can happen.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a shroud to protect a group of printheads in a printhead assembly includes a body having a first notched end where an upstream part of the body extends past a downstream part of the body and a second notched end opposite the first end where a downstream part of the body extends past an upstream part of the body. A first group of openings in the body is aligned across the upstream part of the body and a second group of openings in the body is aligned across the downstream part of the body. Each opening is to surround an exposed part of a printhead when the shroud is installed on the printhead assembly.