Layered Ink Container Structure for Lower Plastic Use and Impact Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ink containers with cushioning units made of plastic material face challenges in reducing plastic usage while maintaining impact resistance and ink supply efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An ink container design featuring a base layer and a surface layer with alternating exposed regions, where the base layer is partially exposed and the surface layer is partially exposed, reducing plastic usage while maintaining impact resistance and ink supply efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a cushioning unit is added to the ink container to improve impact resistance, then the impact resistance is improved, but the amount of plastic material used increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ink container is divided into two functional layers: a base layer made of elastic material for impact absorption, and a surface layer made of plastic material for ink containment. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function, reducing overall plastic usage while maintaining impact resistance through the elastic base layer.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the ink container have different material properties. The base layer uses elastic material specifically where impact resistance is needed, while the surface layer uses plastic material where ink containment is required. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction by applying materials only where necessary for their specific functions.
2Quantity of substance
If the amount of plastic material is reduced to reduce environmental burden, then the environmental burden is reduced, but the impact resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the container into base and surface layers with different materials, the invention can reduce plastic material in the base layer (where impact resistance is needed) while maintaining adequate plastic material in the surface layer (where ink containment is needed), thus reducing overall environmental burden without compromising impact resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The ink container uses a composite structure combining elastic material (base layer) and plastic material (surface layer). This composite approach allows the container to achieve both impact resistance from the elastic layer and ink containment from the plastic layer, enabling reduced plastic usage while maintaining necessary strength.
3Reliability
If a surface layer is added to the ink container to improve ink containment, then the ink containment is improved, but the amount of plastic material used increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into a base layer for impact resistance and a surface layer for ink containment. This segmentation allows the surface layer to be made as thin as possible while still providing adequate ink containment, thereby minimizing the amount of plastic material used while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface layer is applied only where ink containment is necessary, with varying thickness in different regions. This local quality approach ensures adequate ink containment in critical areas while using minimal plastic material overall, balancing reliability with material reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
An ink container for supplying an ink to an ink ejection apparatus that ejects ink includes: an ink storage container configured with a containing space formed for internally containing the ink; and an ink supply port attached to the ink storage container and configured to supply the ink contained in the containing space to the ink ejection apparatus. The ink storage container includes a base layer configured to surround the containing space and a surface layer formed from a plastic material on the outside of the base layer. A first region in which the base layer is exposed and a second region in which the surface layer is exposed are repeatedly formed in a predetermined direction on a surface of the ink storage container.