Liquid Container with High Rigidity Member for Information Recording

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional liquid containers, such as ink cartridges for ink jet printers, face challenges in reducing environmental burden while maintaining reading and writing precision for information recording units due to the use of plant-derived materials like paper, which can lead to decreased precision and increased risk of misreading or miswriting.

Innovation Solution

A liquid container design featuring a first container section made of plant-derived material and a high rigidity member made of a different material, with the information recording unit positioned on the high rigidity member, which suppresses skewing and improves reading and writing precision, and includes a flow path member with a supply port to minimize liquid leaks and environmental impact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the outer box is formed using a plant derived material such as paper, then the environmental burden is reduced, but the reading or writing precision of the information recording unit decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental burdenVSAvoidreading or writing precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid container is divided into multiple sections: a first container section made of plant-derived material for environmental friendliness, and a high rigidity member made of a different material specifically for supporting the information recording unit. This segmentation allows each part to optimize for its specific function without compromise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the liquid container are made from different materials with different properties. The first container section uses plant-derived material where environmental friendliness is prioritized, while the high rigidity member uses a different material where structural stability for information recording is prioritized. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between environmental burden and reading/writing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If the information recording unit is provided on the plant derived material container section, then the device complexity is reduced, but skewing occurs and reading or writing precision decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidreading or writing precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The high rigidity member acts as an intermediary between the plant-derived material container section and the information recording unit. It provides a stable, skew-free surface for the information recording unit while being integrated with the environmentally friendly container structure, thus mediating between environmental requirements and precision requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the supply port is positioned on the same surface as the information recording unit, then the device complexity is reduced, but liquid leaks can damage or soil the information recording unit

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidprotection of information recording unit

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The supply port and information recording unit are positioned on different surfaces of the liquid container, utilizing the three-dimensional space available. This spatial separation in another dimension prevents liquid from the supply port from reaching the information recording unit, eliminating the risk of damage or soiling without adding complex protective mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2792491B1Liquid container

Publication Date: 2018.12.05 SEIKO EPSON CORP

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AI summary

The environmental burden of a liquid container during its life cycle is reduced, and a decrease in the reading or writing precision of an information recording unit provided on the liquid container is suppressed. A liquid container configured to be mounted in a liquid container holder of a liquid consuming apparatus includes a container box that is made of a plant derived material and encloses a liquid containing space capable of containing a liquid, a high rigidity member that is made from a material whose rigidity is higher than the plant derived material and is fixed to the container box, and an information recording unit that is positioned on the high rigidity member, and in which information relating to the liquid container is recorded, the information being read from or written to the information recording unit by a reading unit or a writing unit provided on the liquid consuming apparatus.