Refillable Ink Tank Wall Structure for Moisture Evaporation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers with refillable ink tanks face issues of moisture evaporation leading to increased ink viscosity, affecting recording quality, without increasing the printer's size due to conventional methods like using humidifiers.
Innovation Solution
The ink tank design includes an outer wall thicker than partition walls to reduce moisture evaporation, with specific thickness ranges to maintain printer size and evaporation control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If a large capacity ink tank is used to extend ink storage duration, then the ink exhaustion time is extended, but moisture evaporation increases causing ink viscosity to increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different wall thicknesses to different parts of the ink tank. The outer wall is made thicker (5mm or more) to reduce moisture evaporation, while partition walls between ink chambers are made thinner (2mm or less) to reduce material usage and cost. This local differentiation allows the thick wall to prevent evaporation only where it contacts the external environment, without unnecessarily thickening internal structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The ink tank is divided into multiple ink storage chambers separated by partition walls. This segmentation allows the outer wall to be optimized for evaporation prevention while partition walls can be optimized for other functions. The partition walls serve to separate different ink types while the outer wall provides the primary evaporation barrier.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the outer wall thickness is increased to reduce moisture evaporation, then evaporation is reduced, but the ink tank size and printer size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different wall thicknesses to different parts of the ink tank. The outer wall is made thicker (5mm or more) to reduce moisture evaporation, while partition walls between ink chambers are made thinner (2mm or less) to reduce material usage and cost. This local differentiation allows the thick wall to prevent evaporation only where it contacts the external environment, without unnecessarily thickening internal structures.
3Ease of manufacture
If partition walls are made thinner to reduce material usage, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different wall thicknesses to different parts of the ink tank. The outer wall is made thicker (5mm or more) to reduce moisture evaporation, while partition walls between ink chambers are made thinner (2mm or less) to reduce material usage and cost. This local differentiation allows the thick wall to prevent evaporation only where it contacts the external environment, without unnecessarily thickening internal structures.
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
Reduces ink evaporation and viscosity without enlarging the printer, ensuring consistent recording quality.
Implementation Method 1
Since moisture in the ink is transmitted through an outer wall of the ink tank and gradually released to the air, a lengthy period of time for exhaustion of the ink causes a large amount of moisture to evaporate from the ink
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet printer includes an inkjet head configured to discharge ink and an ink tank including a plurality of ink storage portions in which the ink is stored to supply the ink to the inkjet head via a connected tube, and replenishing ports via which the plurality of ink storage portions is replenished with ink, wherein the ink tank has an outer wall facing an outer side of the ink tank and having a thickness greater than a thickness of a partition wall arranged between the plurality of ink storage portions.