Print Substance Donor Container Sealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for refilling print substance reservoirs in imaging devices often result in spillage and leakage, leading to waste and air contamination due to inadequate flow regulation.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a donor container with a slideable sleeve that creates a seal with a receiving container, allowing for controlled transfer of print substance without exposure to the environment, using a retractable outlet probe with a tapered tip and sealing cover to facilitate precise fluid communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If holes and funnels are used to refill reservoirs, then refilling is simplified, but spillage and leakage increase causing waste and air contamination
Solution Approach 1:
A donor container with a probe acts as an intermediary device between the refill source and the reservoir. The probe inserts through a sealed port to transfer print substance directly into the reservoir, eliminating the need for open holes and funnels that cause spillage and contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible membrane or seal at the reservoir port closes around the probe during transfer, creating a sealed interface. This flexible sealing mechanism prevents spillage and air contamination while allowing the probe to insert and withdraw, maintaining both ease of operation and substance integrity.
2Reliability
If valves are used to regulate print substance flow, then flow control is improved, but print substance spills due to excess transfer to the valve
Solution Approach 1:
The valve mechanism is extracted from the receiving end and relocated to the donor container. By controlling the flow source at the origin rather than at the receiving point, the system prevents excess substance from reaching the valve area where spillage previously occurred.
Solution Approach 2:
The probe serves as a controlled intermediary conduit that regulates substance transfer. Instead of using a valve that requires substance to flow past it (causing spillage), the probe provides a sealed, direct transfer path with flow control at the source, eliminating the spillage hazard.
Data Source
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AI summary
Example implementations relate to print substance donor containers. For example, a system comprising a receiving container with a receiving receptacle port and a donor container comprising a outlet probe to transport print substance material from the donor container to the receiving container in response to the outlet probe coupling with the receiving receptacle port of the receiving container.