Liquid Container Protection Portion Prevents Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid containers for inkjet recording apparatuses can lead to liquid leakage and contamination issues due to the gap between the valve and needle during liquid injection, potentially causing user contact with the outlet port and resulting in messy situations.
Innovation Solution
A liquid container design with a cover mechanism that includes a protection portion with a specific opening portion and distance configuration above the outlet port, preventing accidental user contact and liquid leakage by ensuring the user's finger cannot reach the outlet port, and incorporating distinct shapes for different ink types to prevent erroneous insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a valve with a slit is arranged at the leading end of the outlet port to prevent liquid leakage, then liquid leakage prevention is improved, but the gap between the valve and needle during liquid injection creates a risk of user contact with the outlet port
Solution Approach 1:
A protection portion is introduced as an intermediary component between the user's finger and the outlet port. This protection portion extends from the outlet port in the radial direction and has a length greater than the distance from the outlet port to the valve, physically blocking user contact with the outlet port while allowing the valve to function normally.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet port structure is segmented into functional zones: the outlet port itself, the valve mechanism, and the protection portion. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently - the valve controls liquid flow while the protection portion provides physical barrier functionality.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the protection portion is made long enough to prevent user contact with the outlet port, then user safety is improved, but the overall size of the outlet port assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protection portion is designed with varying cross-sectional areas along its length. The cross-sectional area decreases from the base toward the tip, allowing the protection portion to provide sufficient barrier length while minimizing material usage and overall volume. This tapered design maintains protective functionality while reducing size.
3Reliability
If a separate positioning portion is formed to engage with depressed portions on the liquid tank, then inappropriate liquid replenishment is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protection portion is merged with the outlet port forming member as a single integrated component. The protection portion is formed to extend from the outlet port, combining the functions of liquid discharge and user protection in one structure, thereby reducing the number of separate parts while maintaining erroneous insertion prevention capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid container includes a liquid containing portion configured to contain liquid, an outlet portion including an outlet port configured to discharge therethrough the liquid contained in the liquid containing portion, and a protection portion configured to cover the outlet port of the outlet portion. The protection portion has a first opening portion located above the outlet port. Where a diameter of the opening portion is defined as D, and a distance between the outlet port of the outlet portion and the opening portion in a vertical direction is defined as L, inequality (1) is satisfied.