Flexible Blow-Molded Liquid Container for Inkjet Printers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional liquid containers for printing apparatuses, such as inkjet printers, face issues with ink leakage due to the film member peeling off or ripping when ink is supplied under pressure, leading to pulsation suppression failures.

Innovation Solution

A liquid container with a flexible tank molded by blow molding, integrated with a liquid introduction and supply part, where the introduction and supply ports are aligned to facilitate easy mounting and reduce leakage risks, and a suppression member to manage tank expansion and prevent over-expansion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a film member is fixed or attached to the edge of the container opening to form a pressure chamber, then the container can temporarily store ink and suppress pulsation, but the film member can peel off or rip when ink is supplied under pressure, causing leakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveleakage preventionVSAvoidfilm member durability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the container body and the pressure chamber into a single integrated tank structure molded from flexible material. This eliminates the separate film member that was prone to peeling and ripping, resolving the reliability-strength contradiction by combining the sealing function and structural integrity into one robust component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a tank molded from flexible material that can elastically deform under pressure. This flexible structure inherently handles pressurized ink supply without rigid attachments, eliminating the film member failure mode while maintaining the pressure chamber's pulsation suppression function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Reliability

If a film member is used to form the pressure chamber, then the container can suppress ink pulsation, but the structure becomes complex and prone to assembly errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepulsation suppressionVSAvoidcontainer structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the container body and pressure chamber into a single molded tank structure, eliminating the need for separate film members and their attachments. This integration maintains pulsation suppression functionality while significantly reducing structural complexity and eliminating assembly-related failure points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The tank is designed as a unified structure that inherently provides both containment and pressure chamber functions, segmenting out the need for separate sealing components and simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Stability of the object's composition

If the liquid container is permanently fixed in the printing apparatus, then liquid supply is stable, but sedimentation occurs in sedimentary liquids and the container cannot be easily removed for maintenance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveliquid supply stabilityVSAvoidcontainer removability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the liquid container with dynamic mounting characteristics - securely fixed during operation for stable liquid supply, but easily removable when needed for maintenance or stirring. This dynamic capability allows the system to switch between stability and operability as required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Volume of moving object

If the introduction port and supply port are not aligned, then the tank can be compact, but multiple separate connection operations are required for mounting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetank sizeVSAvoidmounting speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent positions the introduction port and supply port in specific asymmetric locations on the tank, optimized for both compact packaging and efficient single-operation mounting. The asymmetric port arrangement allows simultaneous connection to both the liquid supply source and the printing apparatus during one mounting action.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

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 tank design reduces the likelihood of ink leakage, allows easy removal and stirring of sedimentary liquids, and ensures efficient liquid supply with reduced pulsation and sedimentation, while the suppression member controls tank expansion to prevent over-expansion and leakage.

Implementation Method 1

the pressure chamber suppresses pulsation of the ink stored therein by the film member bending

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the tank is molded by blow molding

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentUS9676197B2Liquid container

Publication Date: 2017.06.13 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

A liquid container 16 mountable to a printing apparatus 11 that performs printing by discharging a liquid and capable of storing a liquid supplied in a pressurized state is provided with a liquid introduction part 47 through which the liquid is introduced, a tank 38 capable of storing the liquid introduced from the liquid introduction part 47, and a liquid supply part 48 that supplies the liquid in the tank 38 to a printing apparatus 11, and the tank 38 is molded to have flexibility.