Rotating Receiving Face for Dummy Discharge Cleaning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses face challenges in preventing nozzle clogging and ensuring stable image formation due to the need for dummy discharge, which can lead to ink adherence and quality degradation if not managed effectively.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus incorporating a receiving face member with a cleaner that rotates between facing and retracted positions to receive and clean dummy discharge droplets, ensuring the apparatus can perform reliable dummy discharge operations without compromising image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dummy discharge is performed to prevent nozzle clogging, then nozzle reliability is improved, but ink adherence on the receiving face degrades image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving face member is designed to rotate between a facing position (to receive dummy discharge droplets) and a retracted position (to avoid interfering with print medium conveyance). This dynamic positioning allows the system to perform dummy discharge for nozzle reliability while preventing ink adherence issues that would degrade image quality during actual printing.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving face member is separated from the print medium conveyance path by implementing independent rotational movement. This segmentation allows the receiving face to independently perform its function of catching dummy discharge droplets without interfering with the print medium, thus preventing harmful ink adherence on the print medium while maintaining nozzle reliability.
2Reliability
If the receiving face member is positioned to receive dummy discharge droplets, then dummy discharge effectiveness is improved, but it may interfere with print medium conveyance
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving face member rotates to a retracted position during print medium conveyance to avoid interference, and moves to a facing position during dummy discharge to effectively receive droplets. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction between dummy discharge effectiveness and print medium conveyance ease.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the receiving face is continuously cleaned, then image quality is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaner operates periodically to clean the receiving face at predetermined intervals rather than continuously. This periodic cleaning maintains image quality by removing accumulated ink while avoiding the excessive complexity and resource consumption of continuous cleaning mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a receiving face member, and a cleaner. The recording head discharges droplets. The receiving face member includes a receiving face to receive dummy discharge droplets discharged from the recording head and not contributing to image formation. With rotation of the receiving face member, the receiving face movable between a facing position at which the receiving face faces the recording head and a retracted position at which the receiving face does not face the recording head. The cleaner cleans the receiving face of the receiving face member.