Keyed Bottle Cap for Drop-on-Demand Printer Ink Supply
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In drop-on-demand printers, refilling ink can lead to spillage and errors due to similar appearances of ink bottles, causing incorrect ink colors to be poured into the bulk tank.
Innovation Solution
A cap with mechanical keying features and a quick-connect valve is used to securely attach to the ink bottle, ensuring only the correct color ink is mounted in the printer, preventing incorrect bottle installation and spillage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ink bottles are used with similar appearances regardless of ink color, then manufacturing cost is reduced and identification is simplified, but the risk of selecting the wrong ink bottle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the cap visually distinct from the bottle body. The cap is colored to match the ink color it contains, while the bottle body remains transparent or white. This localized differentiation allows users to quickly identify the correct ink bottle by the cap color without changing the overall bottle design or manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetry by creating a visual mismatch between the bottle body and cap colors. The bottle body is typically transparent or white, while the cap is colored to match the ink. This asymmetric color scheme makes it immediately obvious when the correct cap-ink-bottle combination is used, preventing wrong ink selection.
2Productivity
If ink is poured manually from bottles into the bulk tank, then the refilling process is simple and quick, but spillage and incorrect ink selection occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary connection system between the ink bottle and bulk tank. The colored cap includes a nozzle that connects to a corresponding receiver on the bulk tank, creating a controlled transfer pathway. This intermediary mechanism replaces manual pouring, preventing spillage while maintaining quick refilling through a simple connect-and-fill process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service refilling where the colored cap and nozzle assembly automatically guides the user to connect the correct ink bottle to the appropriate bulk tank compartment. The visual color-matching system and physical connection geometry work together to ensure the correct bottle connects to the correct tank without requiring user judgment or manual intervention.
3Extent of automation
If the cap is designed to connect to the bulk tank receiver, then automated or assisted ink transfer is enabled, but the cap structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ink bottle system into distinct functional components: the bottle body (containing ink), the colored cap (providing identification and connection), and the nozzle assembly (enabling automated transfer). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall simplicity. The cap itself remains relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides visual identification through color-matching, creates a sealed connection to the bulk tank receiver, and houses the nozzle for automated ink transfer. By combining these functions into a single component, the patent achieves automation without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An ink bottle is mounted in a DOD printer with the ink bottle acting as an ink supply reservoir that supplies ink to a DOD print head. A unique cap is provided that is configured to be affixed to an end of the ink bottle via threads or the like. The cap can be provided with one or more mechanical keying features used to limit mounting of the cap and the bottle assembly to a correct receiver in the DOD printer. The cap can also be provided with a valve controlled ink passage that allows ink to flow out of the bottle through the cap and a valve controlled vent passage that allows air to enter the bottle through the cap.