Liquid Container Discharge Port for Spill-Free Ink Disposal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses with liquid containers, such as ink tanks, face challenges in efficiently discharging or collecting remaining liquid during disposal due to strong fixation and lack of structured liquid extraction, leading to potential spills and contamination.
Innovation Solution
The liquid container is designed with a liquid discharging portion at its bottom surface or lower side surface, equipped with valves that control liquid flow, allowing easy detachment and collection into a separate container using water head pressure and absorption materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the liquid container is strongly fixed to the housing via sheet metal to prevent liquid spill during transportation, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates when discarding the apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid container is divided into detachable components: the container body remains fixed to the housing for reliability, while the supply flow path (tube) and filling/discharge ports are separable. This allows the container to be securely mounted during operation but easily accessed for liquid extraction when discarding the apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The supply flow path tube is extracted from the liquid container's supplying portion, and the filling/discharge ports are made separable. This enables users to remove these components for liquid extraction without detaching the entire container from the housing, resolving the contradiction between secure fixation and ease of liquid access.
2Reliability
If the tube is press-fitted to the liquid supplying portion to ensure secure connection, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The supply flow path tube is extracted as a separate, detachable component from the liquid container. This simple extraction approach maintains connection reliability during operation while significantly reducing structural complexity compared to permanent press-fitted designs, and enables easy removal for liquid extraction.
3Device complexity
If no liquid discharge structure is provided to simplify the container design, then the device complexity is reduced, but object-generated harmful factors increase due to liquid spill during disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The filling and discharge ports are extracted as separate, detachable components from the liquid container body. This simple structural addition provides dedicated liquid extraction pathways without complicating the container's basic design, enabling clean liquid disposal and preventing harmful spills during apparatus discarding.
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
Enables safe and efficient discharge of remaining liquid without spills, maintaining cleanliness and facilitating easy disposal of the apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
allowing easy detachment and collection into a separate container using water head pressure
Implementation Method 2
absorption materials
Data Source
AI summary
The liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejecting head configured to eject a liquid and a liquid container configured to contain a liquid to be supplied to the ejecting head. The liquid container includes a liquid containing portion configured to contain a liquid and a liquid filling portion through which a liquid is filled into the liquid containing portion. Further, the liquid container includes a liquid supplying portion to which one end portion of a supply flow path for supplying the liquid to the ejecting head is coupled and through which the liquid in the liquid containing portion is supplied, and a liquid discharging portion through which the liquid contained in the liquid containing portion is discharged outside. The liquid discharging portion is disposed at a bottom surface or a lower portion of a side surface of the liquid containing portion.