Liquid Absorber Protrusion Design for Ink Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ink jet printer waste liquid collectors face challenges in effectively absorbing and managing waste ink due to the instability of small piece aggregates, which are prone to movement and uneven absorption within the container, leading to inefficient ink absorption and potential clogging.
Innovation Solution
A liquid absorber design featuring a container with protrusion portions that regulate the movement of small piece aggregates, ensuring optimal ink absorption by maintaining a specific ratio of minimum separation distance to average distance between farthest ends, thereby preventing unintended movement and ensuring consistent absorption characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If small piece aggregate is used as ink absorbent material, then ink permeability and absorption characteristics are enhanced, but the small pieces are more easily moved in storage space compared to block-shaped material
Solution Approach 1:
A partition structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the container wall and the small piece aggregate. This partition includes protrusions that extend into the storage space, creating a physical barrier that regulates and restricts the movement of small pieces while still allowing ink to permeate through to the absorbent material.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition structure is divided into multiple protrusions that segment the storage space, creating distinct regions that confine the small piece aggregate. This segmentation prevents the small pieces from moving freely while maintaining their aggregate form for effective ink absorption.
2Productivity
If small piece aggregate is used to increase permeability, then absorption characteristics are enhanced, but uneven density variations occur leading to potential clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The partition structure acts as a mediator that distributes the small piece aggregate evenly across the storage space. By regulating the placement and distribution of small pieces, the partition ensures uniform density throughout the aggregate, preventing localized over-dense regions that could cause clogging while maintaining high permeability for ink flow.
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 enhances the absorption efficiency and stability of the ink absorber, preventing clogging and ensuring consistent ink absorption without uneven density variations, thus improving the overall performance of the waste liquid management system.
Implementation Method 1
a small piece aggregate including a plurality of small pieces 4, each having a fiber base material 2 containing a fiber and a water absorbent resin 3
Implementation Method 2
a liquid absorbent body configured to include a small piece aggregate including a plurality of small pieces having a fiber base material containing a fiber and a water absorbent resin
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid absorber including a liquid absorbent body configured to include a small piece aggregate including a plurality of small pieces having a fiber base material containing a fiber and a water absorbent resin, and a container that includes a wall portion defining a storage space accommodating the liquid absorbent body, and a protrusion portion provided to protrude from the wall portion toward the storage space, in which when a minimum separation distance between a tip end of the protrusion portion and a structure different from the protrusion portion is L1, and an average value of a distance between farthest ends of the small piece is L2, 0<L1/L2≤1.80 is satisfied.