Pivotable Handle for Flexible Liquid Container Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid containers for inkjet printers face instability issues during mounting and removal due to their flexible bag-shaped design, leading to difficulties in handling and orientation, which affects the efficiency of the ink supply and electrical connections.
Innovation Solution
A liquid container design featuring a bag-shaped member with a pivotable handle that stabilizes the orientation, allowing for easier handling and mounting/removal, while maintaining a compact size and reducing the risk of pressure on the storage portion and electrical connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible bag-shaped member is used as the main body of the liquid container, then the container can be compact and adaptable, but the orientation becomes unstable making it difficult to mount and remove
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by introducing a pivotable handle that can rotate between a first orientation (during mounting/removal) and a second orientation (during storage). This dynamic element allows the container to adapt its configuration based on operational needs, resolving the contradiction between compactness and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable handle acts as an intermediary element between the user and the flexible bag-shaped container. By providing this intermediate component with specific orientations, it mediates the interaction between the user's need for easy handling and the container's need to maintain compact form, enabling stable orientation during mounting and removal operations.
2Ease of operation
If the handle is positioned to facilitate mounting and removal, then handling becomes easier, but it may exert pressure on the storage portion or electrical connections
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable handle's ability to rotate between orientations allows it to dynamically adjust its position. During mounting and removal, it adopts the first orientation for optimal handleability, while during storage it switches to the second orientation that avoids exerting pressure on the storage portion or electrical connections, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and preventing harmful effects.
3Volume of moving object
If the liquid container is made flexible for compact storage, then space efficiency improves, but orientation stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable handle serves as an intermediary structural element that provides orientation stability to the otherwise flexible container. By defining specific orientations (first and second), it mediates between the need for compact flexible storage and the requirement for stable orientation during handling, allowing the container to maintain its flexible compact form while achieving operational stability through the handle's positioned configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
The liquid container is detachable from a case of a liquid ejection apparatus. The liquid container has a bag-shaped member that is flexible and has a storage portion for storing a liquid therein, and a connection member attached to the bag-shaped member. The connection member has a liquid introducing outlet into which a liquid introducing portion of the liquid ejection apparatus is inserted, a container-side electrical connection unit to which an apparatus-side electrical connection unit of the liquid ejection apparatus is connected, and a handle that pivots with respect to the connection member. In a state where the liquid container is arranged in the case, the handle is provided at a position exposed to the outside of the case, and when the liquid container is mounted to/removed from the case, the handle is brought into a second orientation in which the handle is pivoted from a first orientation.