Liquid Storage Bottle Rib Geometry for Sealing and Operation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid storage bottles for inkjet devices face issues with ink leakage due to external impacts and increased operation force required to open or close the cap, as they often rely on sealing only one surface of the nozzle tip.
Innovation Solution
A liquid storage bottle design featuring an annular first rib on the nozzle and annular or arc second and third ribs on the cap, where the outer peripheral surface of the first rib is inclined to reduce the operation force and the inner peripheral surface of the third rib is inclined to enhance sealing, preventing leakage from external impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If only one of the inner peripheral surface and outer peripheral surface of the nozzle tip is sealed, then the sealing structure is simple, but the sealing state is broken due to impacts such as dropping causing liquid leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing unit is divided into multiple functional components: a first rib structure with inner and outer peripheral surfaces, a second rib structure, and a third rib structure. Each rib structure performs a specific sealing function, with the first rib providing primary sealing, the second rib providing additional sealing support, and the third rib preventing liquid attachment. This segmentation allows the system to achieve reliable sealing against impacts while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through modular design.
2Reliability
If the rib inner diameter decreases toward tip portion, then sealing performance improves, but operation force required to open or close cap increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the rib structures have different geometric properties optimized for their specific functions. The first rib has an inner peripheral surface with diameter decreasing toward the tip portion to provide strong sealing, while the outer peripheral surface has diameter increasing toward the tip portion to reduce opening force. The third rib similarly has inner peripheral surface geometry optimized for sealing. This local quality variation allows simultaneous achievement of strong sealing and easy operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib structures incorporate curved and inclined surfaces rather than straight cylindrical geometries. The inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the first rib are designed with specific curvature profiles that taper toward the tip, creating a gradual transition that maintains sealing while reducing mechanical interference during cap operation. This curvature optimization balances sealing force with operational ease.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid storage bottle includes a bottle main body, a nozzle having a discharge port through which a liquid stored in the bottle main body is discharged, a cap mountable on the nozzle and a sealing unit sealing the discharge port when the cap is mounted on the nozzle. The sealing unit includes an annular first rib, an annular second rib and an annular third rib. The outer peripheral surface of the first rib is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the nozzle so that a diameter decreases toward a tip portion of the first rib and the inner peripheral surface of the third rib is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the cap so that a diameter increases toward a tip portion of the third rib.