Rotating Housing Cover Timing for Liquid Ejection Jam Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing liquid ejection apparatus faces challenges in synchronously moving covers to prevent recording medium jam and user contact with ejection surfaces, as the timing of cover protection position is difficult to synchronize effectively, leading to potential jamming and user safety issues.
Innovation Solution
The moving mechanism of the covers is differentiated between heads near and far from the rotational shaft, using guide parts, intermediate members, and urging parts to adjust their positions based on the housing's rotation, allowing for asynchronous movement to prevent jamming and user contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the covers are synchronously moved to reach the protection position early, then user contact with ejection surfaces is prevented, but recording medium jamming occurs in the covers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the synchronous movement of covers into individual independent movements. Each cover is controlled separately based on its specific position and requirements, allowing the far-side cover and near-side cover to reach the protection position at different timings, thus avoiding both user contact and recording medium jamming
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control where the movement timing of each cover is adjusted according to the rotation angle of the first housing. The control unit dynamically determines when each cover should reach the protection position based on real-time rotational position, enabling adaptive prevention of both user contact and jamming
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the covers are synchronously moved to delay protection position timing, then recording medium jamming is suppressed, but user hand contact with ejection surfaces occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the synchronous movement of covers into individual independent movements. Each cover is controlled separately based on its specific position and requirements, allowing the far-side cover and near-side cover to reach the protection position at different timings, thus avoiding both user contact and recording medium jamming
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control where the movement timing of each cover is adjusted according to the rotation angle of the first housing. The control unit dynamically determines when each cover should reach the protection position based on real-time rotational position, enabling adaptive prevention of both user contact and jamming
3Ease of operation
If the first housing is moved upward and downward for jam resolving operation, then user operation space is secured, but mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the first housing upward and downward for jam resolving operations, the patent inverts the approach by rotating the first housing about a rotational shaft. This rotational movement simplifies the mechanism while still providing the necessary user operation space for jam resolving operations
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
This configuration effectively suppresses recording medium jamming and user contact with ejection surfaces by varying the moving angles and amounts of the covers, ensuring timely protection and maintaining image quality by reducing head distance.
Implementation Method 1
an urging part configured to urge each of the covers from the retraction position toward the protection position
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A liquid ejection apparatus is provided. The liquid ejection apparatus includes a first housing, a second housing, covers and a moving mechanism. The first housing is rotatable relative to the second housing about a rotational shaft between a close position and a separate position. The covers are movable relative to heads provided to the first housing between a protection position of covering the heads and a retraction position. When the first housing is moved from the close position toward the separate position, the moving mechanism moves the covers such that an angle formed between the first housing and the second housing when a cover corresponding to the head away from the rotational shaft reaches the protection position is smaller than an angle formed between the first housing and the second housing when a cover corresponding to the head close to the rotational shaft reaches the protection position.