Ink Container Lid Layout for Bubble-Free Head Supply

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional inkjet recording devices face issues with ink quality deterioration due to bubbles entering the recording head, leading to ejection errors and image quality degradation.

Innovation Solution

A liquid container with a design that includes a main body portion, a lid portion, a liquid flow inlet, a liquid flow outlet, and a bubble exhaust port, where the inlet, outlet, and exhaust port are integrated into the lid portion to manage ink flow and bubble discharge, preventing bubbles from reaching the recording head.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the liquid container uses a conventional structure with separate inlet and outlet ports, then the structure is simple, but bubbles enter the recording head causing ejection errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveejection accuracyVSAvoidcontainer structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the liquid flow inlet port, liquid flow outlet port, and bubble exhaust port into a single integrated lid portion. This merging of multiple functional ports into one structural component allows bubbles to be discharged while liquid flows through the system, preventing bubble accumulation without requiring separate complex mechanisms for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The lid portion serves as an intermediary structure that mediates between the liquid flow path and the bubble discharge path. By positioning the inlet and outlet ports at different heights with the bubble exhaust port at the highest point, the lid portion enables bubble separation and discharge while maintaining liquid flow, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and reliable bubble-free operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the liquid container allows free flow of ink, then productivity is high, but bubbles accumulate causing image quality degradation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveink flow rateVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the bubble discharge function from the liquid flow path by providing a separate bubble exhaust port in the lid portion. This allows bubbles to be removed from the system independently while maintaining continuous liquid flow through the inlet and outlet ports, ensuring both high productivity and image quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The bubble exhaust port is positioned at the highest point of the container to preemptively discharge bubbles before they can travel to the recording head. This preliminary action of bubble removal at the source prevents subsequent ejection errors and image quality degradation while maintaining uninterrupted ink flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Volume of stationary object

If the inlet and outlet ports are positioned close together, then the container volume is small, but bubbles cannot be effectively discharged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer volumeVSAvoidbubble discharge efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by positioning the inlet port at a lower level, the outlet port at an intermediate level, and the bubble exhaust port at the highest level in the lid portion. This vertical arrangement enables effective bubble discharge through gravity and pressure differential while maintaining a compact horizontal footprint, resolving the contradiction between small volume and effective bubble discharge.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 ink ejection errors by effectively discharging bubbles and maintaining ink viscosity, thereby ensuring high-quality image formation.

Implementation Method 1

The bubble exhaust port discharges bubbles in the containing region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentEP4674627A1Liquid container and inkjet recording device

Publication Date: 2026.01.07 KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC

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AI summary

A liquid container (100) includes a main body portion (1) having a bottom part (11) and a side wall part (12), so as to store liquid in a containing region (10) enclosed by the bottom part (11) and the side wall part (12), a lid portion (2) that covers the containing region (10) from above, a liquid flow inlet (3) that allows the liquid to flow into the containing region (10), a liquid flow outlet (4) that allows the liquid to flow out from the containing region (10) to a feed destination (70), and a bubble exhaust port (5) that discharges bubbles in the containing region (10). The liquid flow inlet (3), the liquid flow outlet (4), and the bubble exhaust port (5) are all disposed in the lid portion (2).