Ink Absorbing Container Shutter Prevents Dust Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers face nozzle clogging due to dust from ink absorbing members flying out of the accommodation container, which is not effectively prevented by existing technologies using natural cellulose fiber and synthesized fiber with thermal-bonding substances.
Innovation Solution
An ink absorbing member accommodation container equipped with a flying preventing mechanism, such as a shutter, air flow formation section, negative pressure formation section, or check valve, to prevent constituent materials from flying out of the inlet port, ensuring that ink can pass through while keeping dust contained.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ink is supplied into the container from the inlet port, then ink absorption function is improved, but constituent material of the ink absorbing member flies out as dust causing nozzle clogging
Solution Approach 1:
A shutter is introduced as an intermediary component between the inlet port and the accommodation space. The shutter opens to allow ink to enter and closes to prevent dust from escaping, mediating between the need for ink supply and the need to contain dust particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter transitions between open and closed states dynamically based on operational requirements. It opens during ink supply and closes during normal operation to prevent dust ejection, making the system adaptive to different operational phases.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a shutter is added to block the inlet port, then dust flying out is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is implemented as a thin, flexible plate that can be easily actuated between open and closed positions. This minimizes the structural complexity while maintaining effective dust containment functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The dust containment function is extracted as a separate, dedicated component (shutter) rather than being integrated into the container structure itself. This modular approach simplifies the overall design by isolating the complexity to a single functional element.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the shutter remains closed to prevent dust, then dust containment is improved, but ink supply is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter operates periodically, opening only during the brief moment when ink supply is required and remaining closed during normal operation. This periodic opening/closing cycle ensures both dust containment and timely ink supply without compromising either function.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter is opened in advance before ink supply begins and closed immediately after ink supply completes. This preliminary and follow-up action ensures that the inlet port is open only when necessary, preventing dust ejection while maintaining ink supply efficiency.
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
Prevents dust from entering nozzles and maintaining print quality by effectively blocking the constituent materials of the ink absorbing member from flying out of the accommodation container, thus reducing nozzle clogging and improving operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
an ink absorbing member containing water-absorbable resin capable of absorbing ink
Implementation Method 2
highly water-absorbable resin, and this enhances absorbability of the liquid absorbing member
Data Source
AI summary
An ink absorbing member accommodation container includes: an accommodation container that has an accommodation space for accommodating an ink absorbing member containing water-absorbable resin capable of absorbing ink inside the accommodation container and that includes an inlet port through which the ink flows into the accommodation space; and a flying preventing mechanism that prevents a constituent material of the ink absorbing member from flying from the inlet port to an outside of the accommodation container.