Direct-Fluid-Supply Pen With Communication Tubes For Ink Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional direct-fluid-supply writing instruments face issues with ink leakage, difficulty in replacing ink and air, complex structures leading to high manufacturing costs, and inefficient ink flow, which result in blurred handwriting and prolonged writing readiness.
Innovation Solution
A direct-fluid-supply writing implement featuring a pentip, an ink occlusion body, an ink tank, and multiple communication tubes with forward and rear end portions strategically positioned to facilitate ink and air replacement, ensuring no leakage, quick writing initiation, and simplified structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a communication tube is provided to continuously communicate ambient air with the ink receiving body, then air can be supplied into the ink accommodation body, but ink leaks out from the ink receiving body to the outside through the pentip side
Solution Approach 1:
The communication tube is designed to change its state dynamically: it remains open during normal operation to allow air supply, but can be closed when ink leakage is detected or prevented. This dynamic control resolves the contradiction by allowing air supply functionality while preventing harmful ink leakage through temporal separation of these functions.
Solution Approach 2:
A closing member is introduced as an intermediary element between the communication tube and the environment. This closing member acts as a mediator that can selectively open or close the communication tube, thereby controlling both air supply and preventing ink leakage without requiring fundamental changes to the communication tube structure.
2Device complexity
If the front end opening portion of the air supply tube is separate from the front end opening portion of the liquid supply hole, then the structure can be simplified, but it is difficult to close the opening end of the air supply tube by ink, making it impossible to positively stop ink outflow and air inflow
Solution Approach 1:
The communication tube is segmented into functional zones: a front end opening portion that can be sealed by ink and a rear end opening portion that remains accessible. This segmentation allows the tube to serve dual purposes - allowing air supply through the rear while enabling automatic closure by ink at the front, thus maintaining structural simplicity while achieving reliable ink and air replacement control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes ink itself as the closing mechanism for the communication tube. When ink flows through the liquid supply hole, it naturally reaches and seals the front end opening portion of the communication tube, eliminating the need for separate closing mechanisms and achieving self-service closure that prevents both ink outflow and air inflow.
3Productivity
If multiple communication tubes are provided to quickly replace ink and air, then writing readiness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each communication tube is designed to perform multiple functions: serving as both an air supply passage and a potential ink delivery path. The tubes are equipped with closing members that can selectively open or close them based on operational needs. This multi-functionality allows a smaller number of tubes to achieve quick ink and air replacement without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Closing members are introduced as intermediary elements that control multiple communication tubes. Rather than complicating each individual tube, a single closing member can regulate flow through multiple tubes simultaneously, enabling quick ink and air replacement across several channels while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity through centralized control.
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
Prevents ink leakage, allows for rapid ink and air replacement, reduces manufacturing costs, and ensures smooth ink flow, enabling immediate writing and stability under pressure changes.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid absorbing material having a ventilation property
Implementation Method 2
the communication tube is communicated with the ambient air at all times. Therefore, when the writing instrument is put in a state in which the pentip side is maintained downward, the ambient air is continuously supplied into the ink accommodation body through the communication tube
Data Source
AI summary
A direct-fluid-supply writing implement has a pentip, an ink occlusion body connected to a rear end of the pentip, an ink tank that directly stores ink and is arranged at a rear of the ink occlusion body, a plurality of communication tubes that connects the ink tank to the ink occlusion body and a partition wall provided between the ink occlusion body and the ink tank. Forward end portions of the communication tubes are protruded forward from a front face of the partition wall, and are located inside the ink occlusion body. At least one of the communication tubes is provided such that a rear end of the communication tube is protruded backward from a rear face of the partition wall and is located inside the ink tank.