Liquid Storage Cover Capillary Ink Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink cartridges suffer from ink wastage due to leakage from the liquid outflow part when the cover is mounted, leading to unusable ink and inefficiencies in size, resource usage, manufacturing, and usability.
Innovation Solution
A cover design for liquid storage containers that utilizes a sealing part and a contact part to create a capillary force, guiding leaked ink back to the liquid outflow part, which then returns it to the storage part via negative pressure, while also preventing damage and further leakage through a welded and inclined design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cover is mounted onto the liquid storage container to block off the liquid supply port, then the liquid supply port is sealed, but ink leaks from the liquid outflow part into the cover and cannot be reused
Solution Approach 1:
A contact part made of non-porous material is introduced as an intermediary component between the cover and the liquid outflow part. This contact part creates a capillary force that acts as a mediator to gather leaked ink back toward the liquid outflow part, preventing it from wasting inside the cover while maintaining the sealing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful effect of ink leakage into a beneficial recycling mechanism. By using the capillary force generated at the contact part, the leaked ink is automatically gathered and returned to the liquid outflow part, transforming the waste problem into a self-cleaning and ink-recycling feature.
2Loss of substance
If the contact part is made to press against the liquid outflow part to create capillary force, then ink gathering is improved, but the liquid outflow part may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The contact part is designed with specific local properties: it is made of non-porous material only at the pressing portion, has a specific shape with an inclined surface, and is positioned to contact only a specific area of the liquid outflow part. This localized design concentrates the capillary force where needed while protecting the overall integrity of the liquid outflow part from damage.
3Ease of manufacture
If the cover structure is simplified, then manufacturing is easier, but ink leakage control is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The contact part is merged with the cover structure, forming an integrated component rather than a separate part. This merging allows the cover to simultaneously perform its sealing function and its ink-gathering function through the contact part's capillary action, maintaining ease of manufacture while improving ink recovery.
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
Significantly reduces ink wastage by effectively gathering and reusing leaked ink, enhancing the design's efficiency, usability, and resource conservation.
Implementation Method 1
a capillary force oriented toward the liquid outflow part can be made to act on the liquid that is present between the liquid outflow part and the contact part
Implementation Method 2
The liquid that is gathered to the liquid outflow part in this manner is returned to the liquid storage part by way of the liquid outflow part because of a negative pressure inside the liquid storage part
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid storage container includes a liquid storage part, a liquid supply part, a liquid outflow part, and a cover. The liquid storage part stores a liquid. The liquid supply part has a liquid supply port defining an opening by which the liquid is supplied to a liquid jet apparatus from the liquid storage part. The liquid outflow part is made of a porous material. The liquid outflow part is disposed inside of the liquid supply port and allows the liquid to flow out to the liquid jet apparatus from the liquid storage part. The cover includes a sealing part contacting with the liquid supply part and sealing off the liquid supply port, the sealing part and the liquid outflow part defining a space therebetween, and a contact part made of a non-porous material, the contact part contacting with a part of the liquid outflow part.