Inkjet Printer Tube Bundle Routing Through Paper Exit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording devices face a challenge in minimizing the space required for routing tubes due to the positioning of the notch for the tube and the ink accommodating unit, leading to increased space usage.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printer design that utilizes a tube bundle passing through a paper exit, where the tube alignment direction intersects with the sheet surface normal direction, eliminating the need for a separate routing path and minimizing the paper exit opening area, thus preventing foreign material entry and optimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the tube is routed through a separate notch and the ink accommodating unit is disposed externally, then the ink supply function is achieved, but the space for routing the tube is increased in size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tube routing path with the paper exit path. The tube bundle is configured to pass through the paper exit opening, combining two previously separate functions (paper exit and tube routing) into a single structural element, thereby reducing the space required for tube routing without adding complexity to the overall device positioning
2Area of stationary object
If the tube bundle passes through the paper exit with alignment intersecting the sheet surface normal direction, then the paper exit opening area is minimized and foreign material entry is prevented, but the tube routing path becomes more constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension (sheet surface normal direction) to achieve the tube alignment. By orienting the tube bundle in a direction that intersects with the sheet surface normal direction at the paper exit, the design minimizes the horizontal opening area while maintaining manageable routing flexibility through vertical spatial utilization
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet printer includes a housing, a first ink tank provided outside the housing, the first ink tank configured to store ink, a carriage having a second ink tank provided inside the housing, the second ink tank configured to store the ink, and a tube bundle obtained by bundling a plurality of tubes by which the second ink tank and the first ink tank are coupled. The housing is provided with a paper exit through which a sheet in the housing passes, the tube bundle passes through the paper exit, and a tube alignment direction of the tube bundle at the paper exit intersects with a sheet surface normal direction of the sheet at the paper exit.