Ink Cartridge Mounting Stability via Perpendicular Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image recording apparatuses face issues with ink cartridges being mounted in unstable states, leading to improper ink supply, leakage, and incorrect type determination due to the design of the cartridge mounting portion, which causes problems during the cartridge-mount-complete process.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a restricting member and a sliding member to stabilize the ink cartridge, with detectors to ensure the cartridge is properly aligned before performing the cartridge-mount-complete process, preventing the process from being executed in unstable states and protecting the ink supply portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cartridge mounting portion has a accommodation chamber with larger dimensions than the ink cartridge, then the ink cartridge can be easily inserted and removed, but the ink cartridge may rotate about the contact point between the lock lever and the contact portion, leading to unstable mounting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension for the detecting member by positioning it at a location shifted from the contact point in the direction perpendicular to the supporting surface. This creates a two-dimensional detection plane that verifies both the vertical positioning and rotational alignment of the ink cartridge, preventing rotation about the contact point while maintaining ease of insertion and removal.
2Device complexity
If the lock lever contacts the contact portion at only one side of the ink cartridge, then the structure is simple, but the ink cartridge is liable to rotate about the contact point when urged by the urging member
Solution Approach 1:
The detecting member provides feedback to the control unit about the mounting state of the ink cartridge. When the ink cartridge is properly mounted without rotation, the detecting member detects this state and allows the control unit to proceed with normal operations. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable mounting while keeping the lock mechanism itself simple.
3Measurement precision
If the detector is positioned to detect the contact portion during insertion, then type determination can be performed, but the detector may fail to detect the contact portion when the ink cartridge rotates, leading to erroneous type determination
Solution Approach 1:
The detecting member is positioned in a different spatial location (shifted perpendicular to the supporting surface) than the contact point, creating a separate detection dimension. This allows the system to verify mounting stability independently of type determination, ensuring that type detection only occurs when the cartridge is properly positioned and cannot rotate.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An image recording apparatus includes a cartridge mounting portion configured to support an ink cartridge in a predetermined mounted position. The image recording apparatus also includes a restricting member configured to restrict a movement of the ink cartridge by contacting the ink cartridge being in the mounted position, an urging member, and a sliding member configured to be urged by the urging member in the removal direction. The image recording apparatus further includes a detector configured to detect the sliding member, and a controller configured to perform a cartridge-mount-complete process when the controller determines that the sliding member is detected by the detector. The sliding member is shifted from a contact point between the restricting member and the ink cartridge in a direction perpendicular to a supporting surface of the cartridge mounting portion on which the ink cartridge is supported.