Resilient Septum Device for Fluid Interconnect Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Septum devices in fluid supply systems require significant manual force and secondary tooling for installation and sealing, complicating the engagement with image forming apparatuses and fluid interconnect units.
Innovation Solution
A septum device with a resilient main body featuring an interior septum surface and exterior septum surface, including engagement members and concave receiving portions, allows for easy press-fit installation and forms fluid-tight seals through the interaction with fluid interconnect units and extraction members, reducing the axial force needed for insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional septum devices are used for installation, then fluid supply function is achieved, but significant manual force and secondary tooling are required
Solution Approach 1:
The septum device incorporates a resilient main body that can dynamically deform during insertion. The engagement members are designed to flex and expand as the septum is pressed into the fluid interconnect unit, allowing the device to adapt to the insertion space and form seals through elastic deformation rather than requiring excessive insertion force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the septum device by making the main body resilient rather than rigid. This parameter change allows the engagement members to deform and expand within the fluid interconnect unit, creating effective seals through material compliance. The resilient nature enables the device to transition from a compact insertion state to an expanded sealing state.
2Reliability
If traditional septum devices are used for sealing, then fluid-tight seal is formed, but secondary tooling is required
Solution Approach 1:
The septum device performs self-sealing through its resilient engagement members that automatically expand and deform within the fluid interconnect unit upon insertion. The device self-actuates to form fluid-tight seals without requiring external secondary tooling or manual intervention beyond the initial insertion motion. The resilient material properties enable the sealing action to occur automatically as the device is installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sealing function from a separate secondary tooling process and integrates it directly into the septum device structure itself. The engagement members are built-in sealing elements that perform the sealing function as an inherent part of the insertion process, eliminating the need for separate sealing tools or procedures.
3Reliability
If engagement members with large surface area are used, then sealing is improved, but axial force for insertion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement members are designed with resilient properties that allow them to dynamically adjust their contact surface area during insertion. Initially, the members have a compact configuration requiring minimal insertion force. As the septum is inserted, the resilient members expand and deform to increase their effective sealing surface area against the fluid interconnect unit walls, achieving reliable seals without requiring high axial insertion force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the engagement members' physical state - transitioning from a compressed low-surface-area state during insertion to an expanded high-surface-area state during sealing. This parameter transformation allows the device to overcome the contradiction by having small effective dimensions during insertion (reducing force requirement) and large effective dimensions during sealing (improving seal quality).
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
Facilitates effortless manual installation and reinforces fluid-tight seals, ensuring reliable fluid supply and retention states without the need for excessive force or additional tools.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient main body to be inserted into the fluid interconnect unit of the fluid supply device
Data Source
AI summary
A septum device usable with a fluid interconnect unit of a fluid supply device is disclosed. An example septum for use with a fluid supply device, the septum includes a body defining an interior aperture, the body, including: an exterior surface defining a groove to receive a locking member of the fluid supply device when the septum is inserted into the fluid supply device; and a protrusion extending into the interior aperture, the protrusion to rotate at least a portion of the exterior surface toward the locking member in response to an extraction member entering the aperture.