Waste Liquid Container Terminal Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Waste liquid containers often experience contact failures due to waste liquid leakage adhering to circuit board connecting terminals, disrupting information transmission and reception.

Innovation Solution

A waste liquid container design with a recessed portion and notch configuration that positions the connecting terminal inside the recessed portion and guides leaked liquid away from the terminal, preventing adherence and ensuring reliable electrical connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the connecting terminal is disposed on the mounting surface, then electrical connection is facilitated, but waste liquid adheres to the connecting terminal causing contact failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical connection reliabilityVSAvoidwaste liquid adherence
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting terminal is nested inside the recessed portion of the accommodating case, which is positioned below the waste liquid introducing portion. This nesting arrangement protects the connecting terminal from waste liquid while maintaining electrical connection functionality through the substrate connecting portion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The solution transitions from a two-dimensional surface arrangement to a three-dimensional spatial arrangement by creating a recessed portion that extends downward from the mounting surface. This vertical dimensionality change allows the connecting terminal to be positioned below the waste liquid introduction point, preventing liquid adherence while maintaining connectivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the connecting terminal is positioned lower to avoid liquid, then waste liquid adherence is reduced, but electrical connection becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewaste liquid adherenceVSAvoidelectrical connection ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The substrate connecting portion acts as an intermediary element that extends from the mounting surface down to the connecting terminal inside the recessed portion. This intermediary structure facilitates electrical connection to the lowered terminal while maintaining compatibility with the mounting portion's substrate connecting structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the waste liquid introducing portion is positioned higher, then liquid discharge is improved, but leaked liquid flows toward the connecting terminal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewaste liquid discharge efficiencyVSAvoidelectrical connection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The accommodating case features an asymmetric structure with the waste liquid introducing portion positioned at the upper part and the connecting terminal positioned at the lower part within the recessed portion. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that waste liquid flows downward away from the connecting terminal, preventing contact failure while maintaining discharge efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

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

Effectively suppresses waste liquid adherence to circuit board connecting terminals, maintaining electrical connectivity and information transmission integrity.

Implementation Method 1

a notch vertically directly below the waste liquid introducing portion which opens on both the mounting surface and the second side surface vertically directly below the waste liquid introducing portion, and extends in an unmounting direction that is a direction opposite to the mounting direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3192658B1Waste liquid container and attachment
Publication Date: 2019.07.31 SEIKO EPSON CORP
  • EP3192658B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3192658B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3192658B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A waste liquid container includes an accommodating case which includes a mounting surface which is an external surface that faces internally in a mounting direction and a first side surface and a second side surface which are outside surfaces extending in a direction intersecting a width direction, a waste liquid introducing portion which is connected to a discharging portion, and a circuit board including a connecting terminal which is electrically connected to a substrate connecting portion. The accommodating case includes a recessed portion which opens on the mounting surface and the first side surface and allows a projecting portion to be inserted therein, when being mounted on the mounting portion, and a notch which opens on the mounting surface and the second side surface vertically below the waste liquid introducing portion. The connecting terminal is disposed inside the recessed portion.