Liquid Supply Unit Guide Member Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ink cartridges face challenges in reliability, size, cost, resource usage, manufacturing complexity, and ease of use, particularly in mounting onto printers and other liquid ejection apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A liquid supply unit with a receiving portion that extends between the liquid supply port and contact portion, allowing easy alignment and secure mounting, along with a biasing member for demounting, and a configuration that reduces the risk of misalignment and disconnection, while also considering the arrangement of contact portions on opposing surfaces to minimize size and prevent short-circuiting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional ink cartridge uses a lever that engages with a concave portion of the holder, then the mounting structure is simple, but the reliability of mounting is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is segmented into multiple functional components: a guide member for positioning, a receiving portion for接纳 the guide member, a liquid supply port for liquid connection, and a contact portion for electrical connection. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function reliably while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member acts as an intermediary element between the liquid supply unit and the holder. It protrudes from the holder and is received by the receiving portion, mediating the positioning process and ensuring reliable mounting without requiring complex engagement mechanisms.
2Volume of moving object
If the liquid supply unit is designed with compact dimensions, then resource usage is reduced, but the risk of misalignment during mounting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member performs preliminary positioning action before the liquid supply port and contact portion make their final connections. By receiving the guide member first, the liquid supply unit is pre-aligned, ensuring that subsequent connections occur at the correct positions even in compact designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical alignment mechanisms with a simpler guide-and-receive system. The guide member provides mechanical guidance that substitutes for more complex positioning mechanisms, enabling precise alignment in compact units.
3Volume of moving object
If the liquid supply port and contact portion are positioned close together, then the device size is reduced, but the risk of disconnection during operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member serves as an intermediary that stabilizes the relative positions of the liquid supply port and contact portion. By ensuring accurate positioning of the entire liquid supply unit, it prevents disconnection even when components are positioned close together in a compact design.
4Ease of manufacture
If a simple mounting structure is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the ease of mounting is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member and receiving portion form a self-aligning system that guides the liquid supply unit into the correct position during mounting. This self-service positioning mechanism eliminates the need for complex alignment procedures or specialized tools, making mounting easy while keeping the structure simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid supply unit includes an outer shell; a contact portion that is disposed in the outer shell and that is configured to electronically connect to the apparatus-side terminal by making contact with the apparatus-side terminal; a liquid supply port that is disposed on the outer shell and used for inserting the liquid introducing portion; and a receiving portion that extends in a protruding direction in which the guide member protrudes outward in a mounting state in which the liquid supply unit is mounted onto the liquid ejection apparatus, and that is configured to receive the guide member. At least a part of the receiving portion is located between the liquid supply port and the contact portion in a predetermined direction orthogonal to a direction in which the receiving portion extends.