Inkjet Bottle Cap Torque-Activated Frangible Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printer consumable bottles often spill or leak during replacement due to inadequate sealing mechanisms, which pose health and safety hazards and are not robust enough to withstand varying environmental pressures during transportation.
Innovation Solution
A bottle cap with a detachable section and a frangible joint aligned vertically, featuring a tool engagement socket for applying torque to break the seal, ensuring the cap is strong during transport and minimizes spillage risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a spring-loaded valve with external capping is used to prevent spillage during bottle replacement, then spillage is reduced, but the cap becomes vulnerable to dislodgement under varying environmental pressures during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into a main body and a detachable section connected by a frangible joint. The detachable section includes a tool engagement socket that allows controlled breaking of the frangible joint using torque application, providing a reliable opening mechanism that doesn't compromise transport integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The opening mechanism transitions from axial force application (pulling or pushing along the bottle axis) to torque application (rotational force). The tool engagement socket accepts a screwdriver or similar tool to apply torque about the bottle axis, which breaks the frangible joint in a controlled manner without causing spillage
2Reliability
If a robust cap is used to withstand transport pressures, then seal integrity is maintained, but the cap cannot be easily opened during replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is segmented into a permanent main body that remains on the bottle and a detachable section that is removed during opening. The frangible joint connects these sections and is designed to break under controlled torque application, allowing easy opening while maintaining transport integrity
Solution Approach 2:
A tool engagement socket is provided as an intermediary element that mediates between the user and the frangible joint. The socket accepts a tool (screwdriver, Allen key, etc.) to apply torque, making the opening process easy and controlled without requiring direct manual manipulation of the frangible joint
3Ease of operation
If a frangible joint aligned vertically is used with torque application, then controlled breaking is achieved, but the cap structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into simple segments (main body and detachable section) connected by a frangible joint. This segmentation allows controlled breaking without requiring complex mechanisms, achieving ease of operation with minimal structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The tool engagement socket is designed to accept various tools (screwdrivers, Allen keys, etc.), making the opening mechanism universal and adaptable to different user preferences and tool availability, thereby reducing the need for specialized complex mechanisms
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
The solution provides a robust and safe sealing mechanism that withstands transport pressures and reduces spillage risks by allowing controlled torque application to break the seal, maintaining the cap's strength and preventing accidental jerking actions that lead to leaks.
Implementation Method 1
said socket being configured to allow the application of torque to said detachable section
Implementation Method 2
said detachable section being, in use, detached by the application of torque to said tool engagement socket substantially about said axis of symmetry
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention describes a bottle cap in which a detachable section (9) can be ruptured from the remainder of the cap using a common tool such as, for example, a hex key. A frangible seal (13), recessed below the upper surface (6) of the cap, connects the detachable section to the remainder of the cap and thus, when the detachable section is withdrawn, the risk of spillage is minimized.