Offset Grip Liquid Container for Printer Ink Cartridge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid containers for consuming devices, such as printers, are cumbersome to handle, prone to damage, and require complex mounting procedures, leading to potential leaks and increased manufacturing costs due to horizontal support requirements.
Innovation Solution
A liquid container design featuring a flexible material with a grip surface offset from the liquid supply port, allowing for easier handling and mounting without direct contact, and a configuration that supports the container vertically during connection, reducing the need for horizontal support and simplifying the connection process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the liquid container body is made flexible to improve handling, then the container can be more easily mounted, but the container becomes prone to damage and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid container is divided into two main parts: a flexible liquid container body and a rigid cartridge case. The cartridge case serves as a protective shell that maintains structural integrity while the inner liquid container body retains flexibility for easy mounting. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge case acts as an intermediary between the user's hand and the flexible liquid container body. When holding the container, users grip the rigid cartridge case rather than the flexible liquid container body, preventing direct external forces from damaging the liquid container body while still enabling easy handling and mounting operations.
2Device complexity
If the liquid containing bag is mounted on the cartridge case with horizontal arrangement, then the connection structure is simplified, but the overall size increases and manufacturing cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid supply port and liquid containing bag connection are arranged in the vertical direction rather than horizontally. The liquid supply port extends downward from the cartridge case, and the liquid containing bag connects vertically to it. This vertical arrangement utilizes the height dimension efficiently, reducing the horizontal footprint and overall assembly size while maintaining connection simplicity.
3Ease of operation
If the grip surface is positioned at the liquid supply port end, then mounting operation is facilitated, but the liquid supply port becomes hidden and inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge case is designed with asymmetric feature arrangement where the grip surface and liquid supply port are positioned at opposite ends of the cartridge case. The grip surface is located at one end for easy holding, while the liquid supply port extends from the opposite end, ensuring both features are accessible and visible during mounting operations. This asymmetric layout eliminates the conflict between grip accessibility and port visibility.
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid container that is detachably mountable on a liquid consuming device comprises a liquid container body that is at least partly formed from a material having flexibility and is configured to contain a liquid; an operation member that is located at one end of the liquid container body and is configured to include a holdable grip surface; and a liquid supply portion that is configured to have a liquid supply port at one end. The operation member is configured such that the grip surface is offset relative to the liquid supply port in an axial direction of the liquid supply portion.