Rigid Ink Feeder With Micro Raised Portions for Automated Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ring-shaped sponge ink feeders in felt-tip ink pens are soft and flexible, making automated assembly challenging and prone to ink leakage, resulting in poor manufacturing efficiency and writing quality.
Innovation Solution
A rigid ink feeder with micro raised portions and ink feeding clearances that securely clamp the felt tip and prevent ink leakage, allowing for automated assembly and efficient ink delivery to the writing tip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a ring-shaped sponge is used as ink feeder, then ink can be absorbed and fed to the felt tip, but the soft and flexible nature makes automated assembly difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from soft sponge to rigid resin, transforming the ink feeder from a flexible component that requires manual handling to a rigid component suitable for automated assembly. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by enabling machine handling and automated assembly while maintaining the ink feeding function.
2Reliability
If a ring-shaped sponge is used as ink feeder, then ink absorption and feeding is achieved, but ink leakage occurs when saturated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ink feeding function by creating multiple discrete ink feeding clearances between micro raised portions rather than using a continuous sponge structure. This segmentation prevents ink leakage by controlling ink flow through defined pathways while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through moldable resin construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a porous resin structure with micro raised portions that create controlled clearances for ink feeding. The porous nature of the resin material allows ink to be fed controllably without leakage, resolving the reliability issue while maintaining ease of manufacture through injection molding.
3Productivity
If manual handling is used for assembly, then soft ring-shaped sponge can be handled, but assembly becomes troublesome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the ink feeder from soft and flexible to rigid, which fundamentally alters how the component can be handled. The rigid resin construction allows automated gripping and assembly operations, dramatically improving productivity while eliminating the handling difficulties associated with soft sponges.
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
Enables automated assembly of ink pens and prevents ink leakage, ensuring consistent writing quality by using a rigid design with micro clearances for ink delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of micro raised portions radially inward protruded from and equally spaced along an inner circumferential wall surface of the main body to together clamp a felt tip of the ink pen therebetween
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of ink feeding clearances each being formed between two adjacent ones of the micro raised portions and communicating with the feeding bore to enable feeding of ink to the felt tip via the ink feeding clearances
Data Source
AI summary
An ink feeder for a felt-tip ink pen and communicable with an ink reservoir defined in the ink pen includes a main body made of a rigid material to internally define a feeding bore; a plurality of micro raised portions radially inward protruded from and circumferentially spaced along an inner wall surface of the main body for clamping a felt tip of the ink pen in place; and a plurality of ink feeding clearances each being formed between two adjacent ones of the micro raised portions and communicable with the feeding bore, so that ink stored in the ink reservoir of the ink pen is fed to the felt tip via the ink feeding clearances. The rigid main body and other ink pen components can be assembled to form the ink pen in an automated manner, and the ink feeding clearances ensure smooth ink feeding without the risk of leakage.