Ink Refill Container Valve Positioning to Prevent Collision and Ink Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for an improved ink refill system that can accurately and efficiently refill ink tanks without causing damage or contamination, while ensuring stable and complete ink transfer.
Innovation Solution
The ink refill container is designed with a positioning structure that abuts on the ink tank to stabilize the valve during refilling, featuring a positioning surface intersecting with the ink outlet axis, and includes a valve that opens when the ink inlet flow path is inserted, guiding the refill process to prevent collisions and ink adhesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ink refill container is moved toward the ink tank without a positioning structure, then the refilling operation can be performed, but the ink outlet may collide with other members causing damage or ink adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning surface is provided in advance on the ink refill container to establish the correct position before the refilling operation begins. This preliminary positioning prevents collision and ink adhesion by ensuring the ink outlet is properly aligned with the ink inlet flow path portion before ink flow starts.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning surface acts as an intermediary element between the ink refill container and the ink tank. It mediates the positioning relationship by abutting on a specific part of the ink tank, ensuring proper alignment without direct contact between the ink outlet and potentially harmful surfaces.
2Productivity
If the valve is opened without stable positioning, then ink can flow out, but the ink refill operation may be unstable and incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning surface establishes the correct spatial relationship between the ink refill container and ink tank before the valve is opened. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the valve opens, the ink flow path is already optimized for stable and complete refilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning structure enables the system to self-align and stabilize during the refilling operation. Once the positioning surface abuts on the ink tank part, the relative position is automatically maintained, allowing stable ink flow without external intervention.
3Measurement precision
If no positioning structure is provided, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ink refill operation cannot be performed accurately
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing a complex positioning structure throughout the entire ink refill container, only a localized positioning surface is provided at the specific location where positioning is needed. This localized approach achieves accurate positioning while minimizing additional device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning surface serves multiple functions: it positions the ink refill container relative to the ink tank, prevents collision, ensures proper alignment for ink flow, and stabilizes the refilling operation. This multi-functionality achieves high positioning accuracy without requiring multiple separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
An ink refill container configured to refill an ink tank with ink and an ink refill system. An ink refill container includes a container main body having an ink chamber; an ink outlet forming portion provided at an edge of the container main body including an ink outlet configured to allow ink to flow out from the ink chamber; a valve provided in ink outlet forming portion and configured to seal the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and a positioning structure configured to abut on part of the ink tank and position the valve relative to ink tank when valve is opened. The positioning structure has a positioning surface located on an opposite side to a container main body side where the container main body is located, across the valve and extends in a direction intersecting with a center axis of the ink outlet.