Refillable Pen Plug with Breakable Membrane Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional writing instruments have a limited lifetime due to ink depletion, and refilling them is often cumbersome and messy, necessitating a solution for extending their usability while ensuring user-friendliness and safety.
Innovation Solution
A refillable free ink writing instrument design featuring a body with an ink reservoir, a removable plug for easy refilling with water and concentrated ink, and various sealing mechanisms to prevent leakage and mess, including snap fitting systems, locking systems, and breakable membrane seals, allowing for convenient and clean refilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If the writing instrument is made refillable, then the lifetime is extended, but the refilling process becomes messy and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The ink reservoir is segmented into a removable plug portion and a fixed body portion. The plug can be easily detached to access the reservoir for refilling, separating the refilling operation from the main instrument body and simplifying the process.
Solution Approach 2:
A breakable membrane seal acts as an intermediary barrier that prevents leakage during normal use but can be easily broken to allow refilling. This intermediary element resolves the contradiction by providing both sealing functionality and easy access when needed.
2Ease of operation
If a removable plug is added for refilling, then the refilling ease is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plug combines multiple functions: it serves as a closure for the reservoir, a refilling access point, and includes an integrated breakable seal. By merging these functions into a single component, the design adds refilling capability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is designed as a multi-functional element that provides both sealing and refilling access. This universal component approach allows one part to serve multiple purposes, minimizing the need for additional separate components.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional sealing mechanisms are used, then the manufacturing is simple, but ink leakage occurs during refilling
Solution Approach 1:
A breakable membrane seal is pre-installed in the plug to provide reliable leakage prevention during normal operation. This preliminary sealing action ensures that refilling operations and normal use are protected from leakage, while the membrane can be easily broken when refilling is needed.
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
The design extends the writing instrument's lifetime by simplifying the refilling process, preventing ink leakage, and ensuring user safety by minimizing contact with concentrated ink, thus providing a user-friendly and mess-free refilling experience.
Implementation Method 1
the ink is free to circulate in the reservoir... the ink circulates immediately on one side or on the other side of the reservoir, for example due to gravity
Implementation Method 2
The plug may comprise a breakable membrane seal configured to prevent ink from flowing out of the ink reservoir and to allow easy opening during refilling
Implementation Method 3
the plug may be mounted onto the rear end via a screwed, bayonet or snap fitting system
Data Source
AI summary
A refillable free ink writing instrument including a body having a rear end, a front end and an ink reservoir disposed between the rear end and the front end, a writing tip mounted on the front end and a plug mounted on the rear end, wherein the plug is configured to close an opening in fluid communication with the ink reservoir, the plug being configured to be removable from the rear end to refill the ink reservoir with water and concentrated ink refill.