Ink Tank Notch Access for Compact Printer Refilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet printers require a large space above the device to access the ink tank for refilling, which necessitates opening the scanner unit, or protruding the ink tank forward or sideways, increasing the device's size.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting device with a device main body featuring a liquid ejecting head, a reading unit with a notch portion at the corner, and a liquid accommodating unit that is inserted into the notch portion, allowing access from above without opening the reading unit and minimizing the device's size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the scanner unit is opened to access the ink tank for refilling, then the ink tank is accessible, but a large space above the device is required
Solution Approach 1:
The ink tank assembly is segmented from the main device body and positioned in a protruding portion at the front surface, allowing independent access without opening the scanner unit. This segmentation enables the ink tank to be refilled through a dedicated opening on the front surface while the scanner unit remains closed.
Solution Approach 2:
A protruding portion is introduced as an intermediary structure between the device main body and the ink tank. This protruding portion houses the ink tank and provides a dedicated access path from the front surface, serving as a mediator that enables ink tank access without requiring the scanner unit to be opened.
2Ease of operation
If the ink tank protrudes forward or sidewards of the device, then the ink tank is accessible from above, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly expanding the device body, the ink tank is positioned in a localized protruding portion at the front surface. This local quality approach allows the ink tank to protrude forward for accessibility while the rest of the device maintains a compact form factor, minimizing overall device volume increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The ink tank access is moved from the vertical dimension (requiring scanner unit opening) to the horizontal dimension (front surface access). By positioning the ink tank in a protruding portion at the front surface, users can access it from above without opening the scanner unit, effectively using spatial reconfiguration to solve the accessibility problem.
3Ease of operation
If the scanner unit is opened to access the ink tank, then the ink tank is accessible, but the operation becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The ink tank access function is extracted from the scanner unit opening operation. By providing a dedicated opening on the front surface of the protruding portion, the ink tank can be accessed independently without involving the scanner unit, simplifying the access procedure and reducing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The access paths are segmented into separate channels: one for the scanner unit (top opening) and another for the ink tank (front surface opening). This segmentation allows independent access to each component through its dedicated path, eliminating the need to open the scanner unit for ink tank refilling and simplifying the overall operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting device includes a device main body including a liquid ejecting head, a reading unit configured to be opened and closed at a top of the device main body and read an image of a document, and a liquid accommodating unit disposed at a device front surface that is a side surface directly opposite to a user among side surfaces of the device main body, the liquid accommodating unit being configured to accommodate the liquid to be ejected from the liquid ejecting head, wherein the reading unit includes a notch portion at a corner portion on a device front side, and a part of the liquid accommodating unit is inserted into the notch portion, and a space above the liquid accommodating unit is open.