Flexible Membrane Ejection Reservoir for Compact Ink Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ejection material reservoirs face inefficiencies in utilizing container capacity due to the need for buoyancy generating chambers and floaters, leading to wasted space and the requirement for larger containers to increase filling amounts.
Innovation Solution
An ejection material receiving unit with a flexible member that has a concave shape, allowing it to deform and expand into a second receiving space, effectively increasing the filling amount of ejection material without significantly enlarging the container, by conforming to the walls of the housing and maintaining pressure control through liquid supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a buoyancy generating chamber and floater are provided in the ejection material reservoir, then pressure variation in heads is reduced, but the container capacity is wasted and the container size must be enlarged to increase filling amount
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the flexible member and the buoyancy generating chamber into a single integrated structure. The flexible member itself forms the boundary between the ejection material receiving space and the buoyancy generating space, eliminating the need for separate buoyancy chambers and floaters. This integration increases the effective filling amount of ejection material while maintaining pressure stability through the flexible member's ability to deform and accommodate volume changes.
2Quantity of substance
If the container size is enlarged to increase filling amount of ejection material, then more ejection material can be stored, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible member as a thin film structure that separates the ejection material receiving space from the buoyancy generating space. This flexible membrane allows the container to efficiently utilize its internal volume by deforming to accommodate ejection material, thereby increasing the filling amount without requiring a larger overall container size. The flexible nature of the member enables dynamic volume adjustment while maintaining structural integrity.
3Quantity of substance
If the flexible member has a concave shape conforming to the wall, then the filling amount is increased without enlarging the container, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a concave-shaped protruding part in the flexible member that dynamically adapts to the container wall during operation. This concave structure allows the flexible member to efficiently utilize the available space within the container, increasing the filling amount of ejection material. The dynamic deformation capability of the flexible member enables it to conform to the container geometry, maximizing space utilization without requiring complex rigid structures.
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 flexible member's deformation allows for increased capacity utilization, enabling more ejection material to be stored without enlarging the container, while maintaining pressure stability and efficient operation of the ejection apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible member separating the first receiving space and the second receiving space, and is characterized in that the flexible member has a concave part which takes a concave shape in a state where the first receiving space is not filled with the ejection material
Implementation Method 2
maintaining pressure stability and efficient operation of the ejection apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an ejection material receiving unit capable of increasing the filling amount of ejection material with as little enlargement of the container itself as possible and an ejection material ejecting apparatus including the unit. Therefore, an ejection material receiving unit includes: a first receiving space capable of receiving ejection material; a second receiving space capable of receiving liquid; and a flexible member separating the first receiving space and the second receiving space, and is characterized in that the flexible member has a concave part which takes a concave shape in a state where the first receiving space is not filled with the ejection material and the second receiving space is not filled with the liquid, and the concave shape is a shape dented toward the second receiving space from the first receiving space, and is also a shape conforming to a wall forming the second receiving space.