Inkjet Printer Design Report2 Spring 2007
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Contents |
Product Analysis
Market Research & Observation
As part of our market research we interviewed people that were printer owners and we observed printer users at public printers. The goal of this research was to identify which characteristics of printers that users disliked the most. From the data gathered during the research we concluded that the three top most common complaints from users were that printers were too large, printers are slow, and the types of material that they could print on were limited. Using this information we were able to brainstorm design concepts that we believed would solve the users’ problem. We generated 50 design concepts and after eliminating the ideas that were either impractical or too complex we picked 5 design concepts that were feasible and not as complex.
Below is a list of obervations made by people we interviewed:
1.Noticed that people detest sorting print jobs on public printers
2.People want to be able to print on things other than paper
3.People don't like to have to get special help to print on larger pieces of paper (ie legal and posters)
4.Some people that would like to print on both sides sometimes don't have access to larger machines and end up having to print on one side then put the page back
5.People want smaller printers
6.People want faster printers
7.Some printers take in too many sheets at a time and malfunction
8.Some people complained about the shape of the printer. They would like a flat surface to rest things on
9.People complained that printers are too bulky
10.People complained about the trouble of trying to find the correct ink, they wished that there was a general type they can use
11.People complained about paper jams
Design Ideas
Below is a list of design ideas we generated before narrowing down to the final five ideas.
1.Have a sorter attached to separate print jobs
2.Make the top detachable so that you can print on a wall
3.Make the base able to rotate to print on 3D objects
4.Add rollers to make printing on bottles possible
5.Add attachments so that the printer can print tattoos on people
6.Add a shredder to the printer to get rid of stuff that you did not mean to print
7.Add stapler to the printer
8.Add a slot to hold files
9.Put a camera on the printer so you can print photos directly and use it as a web cam
10.Add a sewing machine to the printer for multitasking
11.Put usb ports on the side to allow people to plug in more usb devices
12.Put in a power strip to allow people to plug in more devices
13.Put a device on the printer to allow it to be attached to the side of a desktop tower
14.Install a device to punch holes into the paper
15.Add slot in the rear of the printer to allow the printing of thicker materials
16.Add speakers to the printer for audible status reports
17.Make the printer be able to transform to reduce it’s size and make it portable
18.Add a binder to the printer, so it can make small books
19.Make the printer a part of the desktop tower so it is no longer a separate device
20.Add rolodex to the side
21.Change the printer to be able to take in rolls of paper rather than sheets
22.Voice-activated controls
23.Replace AC power with Solar Power
24.Water-Proof Seal
25.Have Eraserable Ink
26.Timers to help monitor printing statistics
27.Adjustable Ink Cartridge holder so have support for other manufacturers ink
28.Wireless Printing
29.Change Printer paper input to allow for printing on multiple sheets of paper at once
30.Change the internal motors to allow high speed printing
31.Automatic Shut-Off function under pre-set conditions
32.More rugged shock-proof design
33.Install razors on the ink cartridge holder to allow the cutting of shapes into the material that is being printed on
34.Make the printer battery operated with rechargeable batteries for mobile printing
35.Change the number of gears in the printer to make the printer silent while running
36.Interchangeable parts to allow users to upgrade their printers without having to purchase a new unit
37.Add port to allow the user to directly upload the documents to be printed to the printer to reduce the need for a computer
38.Add a needle and thread attachment to the ink cartridge holder to allow embroidery
39.Add an attachment to allow the use of spray paint
40.Add an attachment to allow the use of water-based paints
41.Allow the printers to be linked together to share the work on larger print jobs
42.Better ink level indicators
43.Remove the black ink cartridge from the printer and make a separate tank to allow mass printing of black and white images or for public printers
44.Make the ink supply separate from the printer so that it can be larger, this would be useful for public printers
45.Attach Large LCD to display more in depth information about the printer’s status
46.Make the printer able to erase the ink off of the pages so that it can recycle previous printed material
47.Give the printer a larger paper storage container
48.Change the roller system to allow the printing of double sided sheets without having a larger printer
49.Change the Paper Rollers to minimize paper jamming
50.Add an air compressor to assist in the cleaning of the ink cartridges to insure cleaner printing
Design Concept 1: Drop Down Printer
In an attempt to increase the number of materials that can be used in a printer we came up with the Drop Down Printer design concept. To redesign the printer we would remove the lower rollers install them in a separate base. The rollers in the base will be able to slide closer or further apart using the slider controls. Then we would attach four pneumatic pistons on the four corners of the printer and attach an air compressor to the rear of the printer. A comparison of the pros and cons of this design concept are listed as follow.
Pros:
1. The pneumatic pistons will allow the users to switch from normal printing to variable material printing
2. The raised top will permit users to print on materials of a variety of materials of varying sizes
3. The roller sliders allow users to spread the roller and put the base into “bottle mode.” The user can place a bottle in-between the rollers and rotate the bottle as it is printed on
Cons:
1. The air compressor system will generate noise pollution
2. This system would require children to be supervised while using to prevent injury when the base is moved
3. This air compressor system will make the printer more expensive than those that do not possess the system
Design Concept 2
Design Concept 3: Removable Component
This concept concerns areas in manufacturing, assembly, and user operation. The main idea is to design a upgradeable printer that consists of components that play key roles in printer's advancement in the industry. We have identified components such as the side gear assembly, roller assembly, and print cartridge as possible choices to be made removable. The picture shown below is a concept drawing for this design.
Design Concept 4: Universal Cartridge Holder
This design concerns primarily with user operation. The main idea is to design a cartridge holder that is able to hold any shapes and sizes of print cartridges. The reasoning behind the idea is that print cartridge is the only component that requires constant replacement on users' cost. The concept drawing shown below demonstrates briefly how the design could work.