Printer Tube Routing Cutout Prevents Pinching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink supply tubes in printers often get blocked or pinched when passing through the casing cover, leading to ink supply issues and printer breakdowns, especially during large-scale printing operations where frequent cartridge replacements are necessary, increasing running costs and causing blank ejections.
Innovation Solution
A liquid supply flow path device with a cutout or finger engage portion is integrated into the printer body, allowing the ink supply tube to extend through a gap between the casing covers without pinching, using a channel or crank-shaped flow path with shape retention to maintain stability and prevent blockages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an ink supply tube is forced to pass through a gap in the casing cover, then the tube can be routed from outside to inside the printer, but the tube is folded or flattened and blocked, preventing ink supply
Solution Approach 1:
The tube routing path is segmented into multiple sections: an external portion, a passage through the casing cover gap, and an internal portion. The cutout portion creates a dedicated routing segment that separates the tube path from areas subject to pinching, allowing each segment to be optimized for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutout portion acts as an intermediary structure between the external environment and the internal printer components. It provides a protected transition zone where the tube can pass through the casing cover without being directly exposed to pinching forces from cover opening/closing operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the ink supply tube is passed through the gap in the casing cover that is openable and closable, then the cover can be opened and closed, but the tube is pinched and flattened, blocking ink supply
Solution Approach 1:
The casing cover is designed with non-uniform structure: most areas remain intact for structural integrity and sound insulation, while a specific local region contains a cutout portion. This localized modification allows the tube to pass through without compromising the overall cover function, creating a pinching-free zone exactly where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutout portion is pre-formed in the casing cover during manufacturing, before the tube is installed. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the tube is routed through the cover, it encounters a pre-established safe passage that prevents pinching during subsequent cover opening and closing operations.
3Productivity
If printing is continued without noticing the ink supply blockage, then productivity is maintained, but blank ejection occurs causing printer breakdown
Solution Approach 1:
The cutout portion serves as a preventive measure that cushions against the harmful effect of tube pinching before it can occur. By eliminating the pinching risk at the source (the casing cover gap), the system prevents blockages before they can develop into blank ejections and breakdowns, maintaining both productivity and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A recording apparatus comprises a printer body having a case. An ink nozzle is in the interior of the printer body. An opening and closing member is movably affixed to an upper side of the printer body and is configured to open and close. An external tank is located exterior to the printer body. A tube, a portion of which is exterior to the printer body, provides a liquid from the external tank to the ink nozzle. One or both of the printer body and the opening and closing member are configured to define a tube insertion part, which has a cutout portion or a finger engage portion. The tube extends into the printer body through the cutout portion or the finger engage portion.