Ink Tank Movable Portion Suppresses Bubble Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ink tank filling methods are prone to bubble clogging when attaching a liquid storage unit, which can prevent ink from being filled, and increasing the joint pin thickness to prevent bubbles may lead to ink leakage during removal.
Innovation Solution
An ink tank design featuring a joint pin and reservoir with a movable portion that moves in response to a protruding portion from the liquid storage unit, creating a negative pressure environment to prevent bubble clogging by ensuring ink is sucked in before the joint pin is filled.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of the joint pin is increased to suppress bubble clogging, then bubble clogging is suppressed, but ink leaks from the joint pin at the time of removing the liquid storage unit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the joint pin movable rather than fixed. The joint pin can move in the insertion direction (horizontal movement) and vertical direction (vertical movement) to adapt to different operational states. During attachment, the joint pin moves to accommodate the protruding portion, and during ink filling, it maintains proper sealing without excessive thickness that would cause leakage upon removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the joint pin structure into multiple functional parts: a pin body portion, a protruding portion, and a sealing portion. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function - the pin body provides structural support, the protruding portion engages with the liquid storage unit, and the sealing portion prevents both bubble clogging and ink leakage through controlled sealing pressure.
2Reliability
If the joint pin thickness is increased to prevent bubble entry, then bubble clogging is prevented, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The joint pin is designed to perform multiple functions with a single structure: it provides mechanical connection, seals the joint hole, prevents bubble clogging, and enables easy removal. The sealing portion with its specific shape and positioning achieves bubble prevention without requiring increased thickness, thereby avoiding increased device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If a fixed thick joint pin is used to prevent bubbles, then bubble clogging is suppressed, but ink filling efficiency decreases due to difficulty in attachment and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The joint pin is designed with dynamic movement capabilities in both horizontal and vertical directions, allowing it to adapt during attachment and removal operations. This dynamic design enables quick attachment and removal of the liquid storage unit while maintaining proper sealing to prevent bubble clogging, thereby preserving ink filling efficiency without sacrificing reliability.
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 suppresses bubble clogging during attachment, ensuring efficient ink filling and preventing leakage by utilizing the movable portion to create a negative pressure environment within the ink tank.
Implementation Method 1
capable of moving inside the reservoir portion, wherein as a protruding portion comprised by the liquid storage unit is inserted into a concave portion formed in the movable portion while being in contact therewith, the movable portion moves from a first position to a second position higher than the first position
Implementation Method 2
suppress bubble clogging at the time of attaching a liquid storage unit to an ink tank
Data Source
AI summary
Bubble clogging at the time of attaching a liquid storage unit to an ink tank is suppressed. The ink tank comprises a joint pin that is inserted into a joint hole comprised by the liquid storage unit, a reservoir portion that internally reserves ink supplied via the joint hole and the joint pin, and a movable portion capable of moving inside the reservoir portion. As a protruding portion comprised by the liquid storage unit is inserted into a concave portion formed in the movable portion while being in contact therewith, the movable portion moves from a first position to a second position higher than the first position.