Ribbed Capping Device for Ink Jet Printers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers face nozzle clogging and foreign substance entry due to increased ink viscosity and debris, leading to printing failures, and existing cap designs with non-dense portions for ink absorption are inefficient and prone to manufacturing deformations, complicating waste liquid disposal.
Innovation Solution
A capping device with a ribbed bottom portion and communicating hole design that allows liquid to flow through a single waste liquid disposal port, preventing inward deformation and simplifying waste liquid disposal, while also incorporating a liquid absorber with a slit for stable positioning and increased ink absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the cap is designed to have a deeper bottom portion to increase ink receiving amount, then the ink receiving amount is improved, but the side wall distal end portion inclines inward during manufacturing causing shape distortion and reduced opening surface area
Solution Approach 1:
A rib extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on the bottom portion at a position overlapping the waste liquid disposal port, which preliminarily reinforces the structure to prevent inward inclination of the side wall distal end portion during the molding process, thereby maintaining shape accuracy while allowing increased ink receiving capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The rib is strategically positioned only at the bottom portion overlapping the waste liquid disposal port area, providing localized reinforcement exactly where needed to prevent deformation, rather than uniformly thickening the entire cap structure
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rib is formed on the bottom portion to prevent inward inclination of side walls, then the shape stability is improved, but the cap is divided into two areas requiring multiple waste liquid disposal ports complicating the structure
Solution Approach 1:
The waste liquid disposal port is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as the waste liquid discharge opening and simultaneously as a communicating hole through the rib structure, allowing waste liquid to be discharged from both divided areas through a single port, thereby maintaining structural stability while avoiding increased complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The rib structure with its communicating hole merges the waste liquid discharge paths from both divided areas into a single waste liquid disposal port, combining multiple functions into one structure and avoiding the need for separate disposal ports for each area
3Quantity of substance
If the opening area of the cap is increased to improve ink receiving capacity, then the ink receiving amount is improved, but the cap depth must be increased which causes manufacturing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The rib is preliminarily formed on the bottom portion to reinforce the cap structure before the molding process completes, preventing the side wall distal end portion from inclining inward during manufacturing, thereby enabling increased cap depth and ink receiving capacity without manufacturing defects
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 ribbed cap design enhances ink absorption and discharge efficiency, prevents inward deformation during manufacturing, and simplifies waste liquid disposal, improving the reliability of ink jet printers by maintaining ink flow and preventing printing failures.
Implementation Method 1
an ink absorber is provided in the cap so that the ink is stable received into the cap
Implementation Method 2
a closed space between the interior of the cap and the nozzle-formed surface formed thereby is vacuumed by driving a suction pump to suck ink in the nozzles, which causes clogging, into the cap
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a capping device having a bottomed box-shaped cap having an opening at one of ends of short side walls and long side walls formed in a ring shape and a bottom portion on the other side, the bottom portion is formed with a waste liquid disposal port configured to discharge liquid flowed therein from the opening and a rib extended so as to connect two opposing wall surfaces of the long side walls at a position overlapping at least partly with the waste liquid disposal port two-dimensionally when viewed from the side of the opening, and the rib including a communication hole configured to penetrate in the width direction intersecting the direction of extension of the rib and communicate with the waste liquid disposal port.