Partial Fill Ink Cartridge Labyrinth Vent Pressure Equalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Partially filled ink cartridges are prone to ink leakage or 'drool' due to changes in atmospheric pressure, as air within the cartridge expands and cannot escape, causing pressure on the ink.
Innovation Solution
The ink cartridge design includes a labyrinth air vent with a tear-away sealing member and a dividing wall with notches or grooves that allow air to escape from the front chamber to the rear chamber through a vent opening, preventing pressure buildup and ink leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cartridge is partially filled with ink, then the cost is reduced, but air within the cartridge expands and causes ink leakage when transported to higher altitude
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge interior is divided into a front chamber and a rear chamber by a dividing wall. The air vent system is segmented into multiple components: a vent opening in the dividing wall, a labyrinth vent structure, and a tear-away sealing member. This segmentation allows controlled air movement while maintaining ink containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The labyrinth vent structure acts as an intermediary element between the front and rear chambers. It provides a controlled pathway for air to move from the front chamber to the rear chamber while preventing direct communication that could cause ink leakage. The tortuous path of the labyrinth structure mediates the pressure equalization process.
2Reliability
If a vent opening is provided in the dividing wall, then air can escape to prevent pressure buildup, but ink may leak through the same opening
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the vent system have different functional properties. The vent opening in the dividing wall provides pressure equalization, while the labyrinth vent structure in the rear chamber provides a tortuous path that allows air passage but prevents ink leakage. The tear-away sealing member provides an initial seal that is intentionally broken to enable the venting function.
Solution Approach 2:
The tear-away sealing member is provided in advance to seal the vent opening during manufacturing and storage. This preliminary sealing allows the cartridge to be filled and sealed without concern for air leakage. The user must intentionally break this seal (by tearing it away) to activate the air venting function, ensuring that the venting pathway is only opened when desired.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the labyrinth vent structure is added to prevent ink leakage, then ink integrity is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The labyrinth vent structure utilizes curved and tortuous pathways instead of straight channels. This curved geometry creates surface tension effects and flow resistance that prevent ink from following the air flow path through the vent structure, while still allowing air to pass through the same structure in the opposite direction.
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 design effectively prevents ink leakage by allowing air to escape, maintaining ink integrity during changes in altitude and atmospheric pressure, and allows for integrity testing of the cartridge before filling.
Implementation Method 1
changes in pressure after the cartridge has been put into use. For example, if the customer installs a partially filled ink cartridge into his or her printer and then transports that printer to a higher altitude location, the reduced atmospheric pressure of the higher altitude causes the air within the cartridge to expand
Implementation Method 2
The ink cartridge design includes a labyrinth air vent with a tear-away sealing member and a dividing wall with notches or grooves that allow air to escape from the front chamber to the rear chamber through a vent opening
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, an ink cartridge comprises an outer housing that defines an interior space adapted to contain ink and an air vent adapted to enable air to pass into and out of the interior space and a dividing wall provided within the interior space, the dividing wall separating the interior space into a first chamber and a second chamber, the dividing wall defining a passage through which air within the first chamber can pass into the second chamber and out of the cartridge through the air vent when the air within the first chamber expands.