CN201086451Y

CN201086451Y - Ink tank

Info

Publication number: CN201086451Y
Application number: CNU2007200564809U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李贵清; 何永刚
Original assignee: Print Rite Technology Development Co Ltd of Zhuhai
Current assignee: Print Rite Technology Development Co Ltd of Zhuhai
Priority date: 2007-08-29
Filing date: 2007-08-29
Publication date: 2008-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 2017-08-29

Abstract

The utility model relates to an ink container for inkjet printers, in particular to an ink container which can detect the ink residual amount. The ink container comprises a gas port and an ink storage cavity which communicates with the air through the gas port. The ink container also includes an ink-amount observation cavity which is communicated with the ink storage cavity at the bottom and is provided with a transparent wall on the top through which the ink-amount observation cavity is observed from the outside. The way of the new ink container of the utility model detecting the residual ink amount is simple and intuitive. The ink residual amount of the ink container can be controlled when the ink in the ink-amount observing room begins to decrease by setting the height of the lower part of the separator and making the lower part of the ink-amount observing room a bit thin.

Description

Ink container

Technical Field

The utility model relates to an ink container for inkjet printer, especially an ink container that can detect ink surplus.

Background

By detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank during use of the ink jet printer, it is possible to prevent printing failures, damage to the printing apparatus, and the like, which occur when printing is performed in an inkless state.

Conventionally, as a structure for detecting the presence or absence of ink in an ink tank, there are mainly a structure for detecting a light transmission state of ink which changes in accordance with the amount of ink remaining using an optical element, and a structure for detecting an electrically conductive state which changes in accordance with the height of the ink liquid level using a plurality of electrode members disposed inside the ink tank. Further, the number of ejection pulses for ejecting ink from the recording head is counted to determine the amount of ink used, and the remaining amount of ink is estimated from the amount of ink.

However, the above methods all have the following disadvantages:

these detection structures are complicated, and many components are required to be added to the detection structure using an optical element, an electrode member, or an apparatus for recording the number of pulses of ink ejection, which leads to a problem of an increase in production cost.

Disclosure of Invention

The utility model aims at providing an ink container of simple structure, with low costs, can accurately detect inside ink surplus.

In order to achieve the above object, the utility model provides a following technical scheme: an ink container comprising

An ink storage chamber;

an air vent;

the ink storage cavity is communicated with the atmosphere through an air guide hole;

wherein,

the ink container also comprises an ink amount observation cavity which is communicated with the ink storage cavity at the bottom; the upper part of the ink amount observing cavity is provided with a transparent wall which can observe the ink amount in the ink amount observing cavity from the outside.

The ink amount observation cavity is separated from the ink storage cavity by a partition plate with the bottom communicated with the ink storage cavity.

The utility model discloses the mode that the ink container detected the ink surplus is simple, directly perceived. The ink amount observation chamber is filled with ink, which is not communicated with the atmosphere. Therefore, in the process of feeding ink to the printer, the ink in the ink storage cavity firstly drops, when the ink in the ink storage cavity firstly reaches the position below the partition plate, the ink in the ink amount observation chamber begins to drop, the upper part of the ink amount observation chamber is transparent, the ink can be directly observed through human eyes, at the moment, the ink amount in the ink container is not large, and a user can directly replace the ink container according to the observation result. By setting the height of the lower part of the partition plate and setting the lower part of the ink amount observation chamber to be thinner, the ink amount observation can be controlled according to the ink amount remaining in the ink container when the inner ink starts to be arranged first.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a full state of an ink container according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a critical state before ink drops in the ink volume observing chamber of the ink container according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a state where ink starts to descend in the ink volume observing chamber of the ink container according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a structure of an ink container according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

the present invention will be further explained with reference to the drawings and examples.

Detailed Description

Example one

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, the ink tank of the present embodiment includes an ink storage chamber 1 and an ink amount observation chamber 2, which are separated by a partition 3, but the partition 3 is spaced from the lower wall of the ink tank, so that the ink storage chamber 1 and the ink amount observation chamber 2 communicate at the bottom. The ink amount observation chamber 2 is closed except for an opening communicating with the ink storage chamber 1. And an ink outlet 4 for supplying ink to the printer at a lower portion of the ink tank. An air vent (not shown) is further disposed on the outer wall of the ink storage chamber 1, and the air vent connects the ink storage chamber 1 with the atmosphere. The upper portion of the outer wall 21 of the ink amount observation chamber 2 is transparent so that the user can observe the use of ink in the ink amount observation chamber 2 from the outside through the outer wall 21. In order to facilitate the user's observation of the ink amount observation chamber 2, the top of the ink amount observation chamber 2 is higher than the top of the ink storage chamber 1, and the projection may be designed to protrude from the printer or be located in the printer for the user's observation.

The principle of the ink container for determining the remaining amount of ink is as follows:

referring first to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a state in which the ink container is full of ink. In this state, the ink storage chamber 1 and the ink amount observation chamber 2 are filled with ink, and the ink amount observation chamber 2 has no residual gas. When the printer starts printing, ink flows out of the ink tank through the ink outlet 4. Since the ink storage chamber 1 is communicated with the atmosphere and the ink amount observation chamber 2 is not filled with gas, only the liquid level in the ink storage chamber 1 will gradually drop, and the ink level in the ink amount observation chamber 2 will not change, and the ink full state is still maintained. As the ink level in the ink reservoir 1 decreases, as shown in fig. 2, the ink level decreases to the bottom-most position of the partition 3, and if the ink level continues to decrease, air will enter the ink level observation chamber 2, and the ink level in the ink level observation chamber 2 starts to decrease to reach the state shown in fig. 3. When the state shown in fig. 3 is reached, the amount of ink in the ink container is small, and the user can judge that the amount of ink in the ink container is small based on the result that the ink in the ink amount observation chamber 2 starts to drop, and prepare to replace the ink container or refill the ink.

Example two

Referring to fig. 4, the ink tank of the present embodiment includes an ink reservoir 10 and an ink amount observation chamber 20, which are separated by a partition 30, but the partition 30 is spaced from the lower wall of the ink tank, so that the ink reservoir 10 and the ink amount observation chamber 20 communicate at the lower portion. The ink amount observation chamber 20 is closed except for an opening communicating with the ink storage chamber 10. And an ink outlet 40 for supplying ink to the printer at a lower portion of the ink tank. An air vent (not shown in fig. 4) is further disposed on an outer wall of the ink storage chamber 10, and the air vent connects the ink storage chamber 10 with the atmosphere. The outer wall 21 of the ink amount observation chamber 2 is transparent so that the user can observe the use of ink in the ink amount observation chamber 20 from the outside through the outer wall 21. The top of the ink amount observing chamber 20 is equal to or slightly lower than the top of the ink storage chamber 1, the upper part of the ink amount observing chamber 20 is wider, and the lower end thereof is narrower, and the design of the structure with the wider upper part and the narrower lower part enables the horizontal cross-sectional area of the upper part of the ink amount observing chamber to be larger than that of the lower part, namely, the partition plate 30 is closer to the bottom wall of the ink container than the partition plate 3 in the first embodiment, namely, the communication opening of the ink storage chamber 10 and the ink amount observing chamber 20 is reduced. After such a modification, when the ink level at the top of the ink amount observing chamber 20 starts to change, the ink in the ink container of this embodiment is less than the ink remaining amount described in the first embodiment, and if the user replaces the ink container at this time, too much ink is not wasted. The working process principle of the ink container in this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, and is not described again.

Of course, the structural composition of the ink container of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Obvious modifications to the above-described embodiments and other variations which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ink container comprising

An ink storage chamber;

an air vent;

the method is characterized in that:

2. The ink container according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The ink container according to claim 1, wherein:

the outer wall of the ink amount observation cavity is transparent.

4. The ink container according to claim 1, wherein:

the ink amount observation chamber is higher at the top than the ink storage chamber.

5. The ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:

the ink amount observation cavity is of a structure with a wide upper part and a narrow lower part.