Ink Supply Cylinder Tip Surface Segmentation for Bubble Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air bubbles in the ball seal structure of ink cartridges can cause ink flow defects and discharge issues when the cartridges are inserted into the cartridge mounting portion, as these bubbles are not effectively drained and can remain attached to the seal members.
Innovation Solution
The ink supply device features a cylinder with a tip surface having first and second contact surfaces and radial ink passages, which allows for the stable opening of the ink cartridge cover and prevents air bubbles from flowing with the ink by ensuring that ink flows from the lower side of the needle, keeping air bubbles buoyant and preventing them from entering the inner space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ball seal structure is used to seal the hole in the ink cartridge, then the hole can be effectively sealed to prevent ink leakage, but air bubbles attach to the seal members and cannot be drained, causing ink flow defects
Solution Approach 1:
The tip surface is segmented into multiple functional regions: a first contact surface for sealing contact with the valve body, and a second contact surface with radial ink passages for ink supply. This segmentation allows the sealing function and ink supply function to be separated, preventing air bubbles from entering the ink needle while ensuring reliable sealing and continuous ink flow.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tip surface are given different properties: the first contact surface provides sealing contact, while the second region with radial ink passages provides ink supply pathways. This local differentiation ensures that air bubbles are excluded from the sealing region while ink can flow freely through the designated passages.
2Ease of operation
If the cylinder presses the ball seal structure to open the cover, then the cover opening is achieved, but air bubbles remain attached to the members and are not effectively removed
Solution Approach 1:
The radial ink passages are pre-formed in the tip surface, creating ready-made pathways for ink to flow into the inner space before the ink cartridge is fully inserted. This preliminary preparation ensures that ink can immediately enter the system and prevent air bubble attachment, avoiding ink flow defects during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The radial ink passages act as an intermediary structure between the external environment and the inner space of the ink needle. They provide a controlled pathway for ink to enter, mediating the interaction between the sealing function and ink supply function, and preventing air bubbles from directly entering the ink needle.
3Ease of operation
If contact surfaces are provided at specific intervals in the tip surface, then cover opening is facilitated, but air bubbles can still enter the inner space through the ink passages
Solution Approach 1:
The tip surface structure is asymmetrically designed with the first contact surface for sealing and the second contact surface with radial ink passages positioned at specific locations. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that the sealing and ink supply functions are optimally positioned to prevent air bubble entry while facilitating cover opening, addressing the contradiction between ease of operation and prevention of harmful factors.
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
This design effectively prevents air bubbles from entering the ink needle, reducing the risk of ink flow defects and ensuring smooth ink supply to the recording head, while maintaining stable contact with the valve body to prevent connection issues.
Implementation Method 1
ensuring that ink flows from the lower side of the needle, keeping air bubbles buoyant and preventing them from entering the inner space
Data Source
AI summary
An ink supply device includes a cartridge mounting portion for an ink cartridge. The ink cartridge includes: an ink chamber including a hole; and a cover configured to cover the hole. The cartridge mounting portion includes a cylinder extending in a horizontal direction and is configured to mount thereon the ink cartridge while opening the cover by the cylinder. The cylinder includes a tip surface including: a first contact surface provided in at least an entire first region of the tip surface and configured to contact the cover, the first region being located above an upper end of an inner surface of the cylinder and; a second contact surface provided in a second region of the tip surface other than the first region and configured to contact the cover, and a passage provided in the second region of the tip surface to extend in a radial direction of the cylinder to allow an inner space of the cylinder to communicate with an outside.