Refillable Ink Container Lid with Covered Sealing Plug
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink containers for printers often have plug members that attach to the supply opening, leading to ink residue on the plug member, which can soil the user's hands during refilling.
Innovation Solution
A liquid container design with a lid portion that turns around a turning axis between closed and open states, featuring a cover portion that ensures the insertion portion does not project further than the cover when open, preventing hand contact with ink residue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plug member is press-fitted to a supply opening to prevent leakage, then liquid containment is improved, but the plug member becomes soiled with ink residue that can transfer to the user's hands during refilling
Solution Approach 1:
The lid portion is divided into two functional segments: the insertion portion (plug member) that seals the inlet and the cover portion that covers the insertion portion. This segmentation allows the cover portion to protect the user's hands from ink residue on the insertion portion while maintaining the sealing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover portion acts as an intermediary between the insertion portion (which has ink residue) and the user's hands. It provides a protective barrier that prevents direct contact between the user's hands and the contaminated insertion portion during refilling operations.
2Ease of operation
If the insertion portion projects beyond the cover portion when the lid is open, then access to the inlet is improved, but the user's hands are more likely to contact ink residue on the insertion portion
Solution Approach 1:
The lid portion is segmented into the insertion portion for sealing and the cover portion for protection. The cover portion extends to cover the insertion portion when the lid is open, providing hand protection while still allowing the insertion portion to be inserted into the inlet for refilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover portion adds a spatial dimension of protection by extending laterally to cover the insertion portion. This creates a protective zone that prevents hand contact with the insertion portion while maintaining functional access during refilling.
3Ease of operation
If the lid portion is designed to turn around a turning axis between closed and open states, then ease of opening and closing is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The lid portion combines the insertion portion and cover portion into a single integrated component that rotates together around a turning axis. This merging simplifies the mechanical structure compared to having separate moving parts, while still providing the protective function during opening and closing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid portion serves multiple functions: it seals the inlet when closed, protects the insertion portion from hand contact when open, and provides a user-friendly rotating mechanism for operation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid container is configured to be refilled with a liquid from outside, the liquid container including a containing portion that contains the liquid, an inlet that is in communication with the containing portion and through which the liquid is poured, a lid portion that has an insertion portion to be inserted into the inlet and is configured to turn around a turning axis between a closed state in which the inlet is closed by inserting the insertion portion into the inlet and an open state in which the insertion portion is separated from the inlet, and a cover portion that covers the insertion portion in the open state, in which, when the lid portion is in the open state, the insertion portion does not project further than the cover portion when viewed in an axial direction of the turning axis.