Quick Connect Assembly for Ink and Print Head Maintenance

Solution Overview

Problem

Ink and print assemblies housed in a single unit pose challenges during maintenance and operation, as opening the housing for replenishment or repairs increases downtime and risks damage to parts, particularly due to the need to handle both fluid and electrical connections simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

A quick connect assembly with separate housing portions and fluid and conductive connectors allows for the ink assembly and print assembly to be fluidly and conductively coupled, enabling easy disconnection and reconnection without opening the housing, allowing for flexible orientation and secure connection at various angles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the ink assembly and print assembly are housed in a single housing, then the system structure is simplified, but the downtime increases and the risk of damage to parts increases during maintenance operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehousing structureVSAvoiddowntime

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The connector housing is divided into separate first and second housing portions that can be independently accessed. The first housing portion contains fluid connectors for ink supply, while the second housing portion contains conductive connectors for electrical connections. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and service one assembly without necessarily exposing or risking damage to the other assembly, thereby reducing downtime and damage risk during maintenance operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If the ink assembly and print assembly are housed in a single housing, then the system structure is simplified, but the risk of damage to parts increases during maintenance operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehousing structureVSAvoidrisk of damage to parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The connector housing is divided into separate first and second housing portions that can be independently accessed. The first housing portion contains fluid connectors for ink supply, while the second housing portion contains conductive connectors for electrical connections. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and service one assembly without necessarily exposing or risking damage to the other assembly, thereby reducing downtime and damage risk during maintenance operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of repair

If separate housing portions are used for fluid and electrical connectors, then the ease of maintenance improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of maintenanceVSAvoidconnector housing structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The connector housing is divided into separate first and second housing portions that can be independently accessed. The first housing portion contains fluid connectors for ink supply, while the second housing portion contains conductive connectors for electrical connections. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and service one assembly without necessarily exposing or risking damage to the other assembly, thereby reducing downtime and damage risk during maintenance operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

While the housing portions are segmented for independent access, the fluid connectors and conductive connectors are integrated within the same connector housing structure. This merging allows both fluid and electrical connections to be established simultaneously when the housing portions are mated, simplifying the overall connection process while maintaining the maintenance advantage of separate access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11420445B2Quick connect assembly for fluid and electrical connections

Publication Date: 2022.08.23 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC

AI summary

A quick connect assembly includes a connector housing and fluid connectors that fluidly couple an ink assembly and a print assembly. The quick connect assembly also includes conductive connectors that conductively couple hardware circuitry in the ink assembly with hardware circuitry in the print assembly. First and second portions of the connector housing mate with each other to couple the fluid connectors and to couple the conductive connectors. The first and second housing portions mate with each other by rotating the first housing portion and/or the second housing portion relative to the other of the first housing portion and/or the second housing portion.