Dry Ink Refill for Felt Pen Using Absorbent Polymer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refills for writing felt pens face issues with ink stability and are generally bulky due to their hydrated form, which increases weight and storage challenges.
Innovation Solution
A refill comprising a deformable pouch with a mix of dry absorbent polymer and fibers, where the dry absorbent polymer is capable of absorbing water-based ink, reducing ink stability issues and minimizing volume and weight by eliminating the need for water in the refill.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the refill contains water-based ink in hydrated form, then the ink is ready to use, but the volume and weight of the refill increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts water from the ink formulation, retaining only the dry ink powder and absorbent polymer in the refill. Water is added externally during the refilling process, transforming the system from containing pre-mixed liquid ink to containing dry components that become liquid ink only when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The absorbent polymer is pre-loaded in the refill body, ready to absorb water and form ink. This preliminary preparation allows the refill to be compact and lightweight while still enabling easy ink formation when water is added during refilling.
2Ease of operation
If the refill contains water-based ink in hydrated form, then the ink is ready to use, but the weight of the refill increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts water from the ink formulation, retaining only the dry ink powder and absorbent polymer in the refill. This removal of water significantly reduces the refill weight while maintaining the capability to form usable ink when water is added during refilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The absorbent polymer is pre-loaded in the refill body, ready to absorb water and form ink. This preliminary preparation allows the refill to be lightweight while still enabling easy ink formation when water is added during refilling.
3Ease of operation
If the refill uses traditional liquid ink storage, then the ink is immediately available, but ink stability during storage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts water from the ink system, storing only dry components. This eliminates the stability issues associated with liquid ink storage, including microbial growth, chemical degradation, and leakage, while maintaining ink availability through the rapid absorption of water by the pre-loaded polymer.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the ink from liquid to dry powder form for storage. This parameter change fundamentally improves storage stability by eliminating the problems inherent in liquid ink storage, while the absorbent polymer enables rapid conversion back to liquid form when needed.
4Quantity of substance
If the refill is made voluminous to accommodate hydrated ink, then sufficient ink capacity is achieved, but portability and storage efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts water from the ink formulation, allowing the same ink capacity to be achieved in a much smaller volume. The dry ink powder and absorbent polymer occupy minimal space compared to the volume required for pre-mixed liquid ink, dramatically improving portability and storage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates an asymmetric distribution of components, with the bulk of the refill volume dedicated to the absorbent polymer that can be compressed into a dense, compact form. The actual ink components (dry powder and polymer) are concentrated in a small volume, with water added externally to achieve the required ink quantity.
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 solution enhances ink stability during storage, reduces the refill's volume and weight, and allows for a more efficient refilling method by using a dry absorbent polymer that absorbs water to form ink when needed, addressing the bulkiness and stability concerns of traditional refills.
Implementation Method 1
the dry absorbent polymer is capable of absorbing water-based ink
Data Source
AI summary
A refill for a writing felt pen, the refill comprising a deformable pouch and a nib inserted into the deformable pouch, the deformable pouch comprising a mix of dry absorbent polymer, fibers and dry ink.