Ink Container Cover-Valve Linkage to Prevent Replenishment Errors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid discharge apparatuses, such as printing apparatuses, suffer from valve opening/closing errors during ink replenishment, leading to discharge failures or ink leakage due to manual user operations.
Innovation Solution
A liquid discharge apparatus with a container system featuring interworking cover portions and valves that automatically control passage opening/closing based on cover movement, eliminating the need for sensors and actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual valve opening/closing operation is used during ink replenishment, then the structure remains simple, but erroneous operations occur leading to discharge failures or ink leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cover opening/closing mechanism with the valve opening/closing mechanism into a single integrated system. The cover portion and valve are mechanically linked such that opening the cover automatically opens the valve, and closing the cover automatically closes the valve. This merging eliminates the need for separate manual valve control while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs valve opening/closing automatically based on cover movement, without requiring separate user intervention. The mechanical linkage between the cover and valve enables the cover operation to self-trigger the corresponding valve action, preventing erroneous operations while keeping the mechanism simple.
2Reliability
If valve and cover operations are interworked automatically, then erroneous operations are prevented, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using sensors and actuators to detect cover position and control the valve (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by using direct mechanical linkage where the cover movement itself physically drives the valve. This reverses the conventional sensor-actuator control paradigm with a purely mechanical coupling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electronic control system (sensors and actuators) with a purely mechanical linkage system. The mechanical connection between the cover portion and valve directly transmits the opening/closing motion, substituting complex electronic control with simple mechanical coupling.
3Extent of automation
If sensors and actuators are used for valve control, then automated control is achieved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve control system serves itself through direct mechanical coupling with the cover mechanism. The cover opening/closing action automatically triggers the corresponding valve action without requiring external sensors or actuators to detect and control the valve state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the sensors and actuators from the valve control system, retaining only the essential mechanical linkage between the cover and valve. This extraction eliminates unnecessary components while maintaining the automated control function.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a container configured to store a liquid to be supplied to a discharge unit, a first cover portion capable of moving between a closing position where an inlet portion in the container is covered and an opening position, a second cover portion capable of moving between a closing position where the first cover portion is covered and an opening position where the first cover portion is exposed so as to be opened/closed, and a valve which opens/closes a passage communicating with an inside of the container. The valve closes the passage interworking with a movement of the first cover portion to the opening position, and opens the passage interworking with a movement of the second cover portion to the closing position.