Offset Spout Pliable Reservoir Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Pliable reservoirs used in printing devices are difficult to handle and couple to ejection devices due to their lack of rigid structure, making alignment and secure attachment challenging, which affects the reliability and ease of liquid supply replacement.
Innovation Solution
A bag-in-box print liquid supply system with a pre-positioned, secured dispensing spout that remains stationary relative to a rigid container, utilizing a clamp plate assembly with wedge-shaped fork ends and an angled clamp flange to ensure proper alignment and secure attachment, facilitating easy installation and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a pliable reservoir is used to hold print liquid, then the reservoir is easy to manufacture and cost-effective, but the reservoir is difficult to handle and couple to ejection devices due to lack of rigid structure
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional components: a rigid container providing structural support and handling ease, a pliable reservoir for liquid storage, and a secured spout assembly for precise liquid delivery. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while working together as an integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid container acts as an intermediary structure between the pliable reservoir and the external handling environment. It provides the rigid framework needed for easy handling and coupling to ejection devices, while the pliable reservoir maintains its manufacturing advantages inside the protective container structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If a pliable reservoir is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but alignment and secure attachment to ejection devices becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The spout is pre-positioned and secured to the rigid container at precise locations before the reservoir is filled or installed. This preliminary positioning ensures accurate alignment with ejection device receptacles, eliminating alignment challenges during final assembly while maintaining cost-effective pliable reservoir manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid container provides localized structural rigidity and precise alignment features at the spout interface areas, while the pliable reservoir maintains its flexible, cost-effective construction in the liquid storage areas. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between low-cost pliable construction and precise alignment requirements.
3Reliability
If the spout is secured to remain stationary relative to the rigid container, then liquid delivery alignment is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spout, rigid container, and alignment features are merged into a single integrated assembly. The spout is directly secured to the rigid container structure, combining the functions of support, positioning, and liquid delivery into one unified component set, thereby maintaining alignment stability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a print liquid supply is described. The print liquid supply includes a reservoir for holding a supply of print liquid. The reservoir includes a pliable body having a front face and a back face. The print liquid supply also includes a spout affixed to the reservoir. The spout is located at a corner of the front face offset from a centerline of the front face.