Staggered Liquid Ejection Head Supply Ports
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Solution Overview
Problem
In liquid ejection apparatuses like inkjet printers, the adjacent disposition of supply ports creates a narrow working space, making it difficult to attach tubes and increasing the risk of connection failures.
Innovation Solution
The liquid ejection heads are positioned at predetermined intervals perpendicular to the ejection direction, with supply ports staggered in the longitudinal direction, providing a wider working space and facilitating the attachment of tubes by positioning each supply port differently from adjacent heads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If supply ports of adjacent liquid ejection heads are disposed adjacently in the width direction, then the apparatus structure is compact, but the working space becomes narrow making tube attachment difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by arranging supply ports not only in the width direction but also offset in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, supply ports of adjacent heads are positioned at different locations in the longitudinal direction, creating a staggered arrangement that opens up working space while maintaining compact overall structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If supply ports are adjacently disposed to maintain compact structure, then device size is reduced, but connection failure risk increases due to difficult attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetry in the arrangement of supply ports. Instead of symmetric adjacent positioning, supply ports of adjacent heads are deliberately offset in the longitudinal direction. This asymmetric staggered arrangement simplifies tube attachment and improves connection reliability while maintaining a compact overall device structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection apparatus having liquid ejection heads extending in a particular direction, and each liquid ejection head has an ejection surface with ejection ports configured to eject a liquid, a supply port to which liquid is supplied, and a flow path formed in the liquid ejection head. The flow path is configured to place the ejection ports and the supply port in fluid communication. The liquid ejection heads are positioned at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the particular direction, and for each liquid ejection head, the supply port of one liquid ejection head is in a different location in the particular direction, than all of the liquid ejection heads adjacent to the one liquid ejection head in the perpendicular direction.