CN217495613U

CN217495613U - Ink box

Info

Publication number: CN217495613U
Application number: CN202221163539.5U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 夏敬章; 杨杰
Original assignee: Zhuhai Ninestar Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Zhuhai Ninestar Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-05-13
Filing date: 2022-05-13
Publication date: 2022-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 2032-05-13

Abstract

The application discloses ink box, this ink box include casing, chip board and detector, the casing is equipped with liquid containing part, liquid containing part is used for holding the ink, chip board movably set up in the casing, just chip board is keeping away from one side of the body is equipped with two at least external contact, the detector set up in the casing, be used for the basis the ink output condition of ink box changes chip board with the distance of contact pilotage to control at least one external contact and correspond the switch-on or the disconnection of contact pilotage. When the ink in the ink box is used up, the detector controls the electrical connection between at least one external contact and the corresponding contact pin to be disconnected, so that the chip does not recognize the ink and the ink-jet printing equipment stops working, the ink detection accuracy is high as far as possible, and the cost is low because a sensor is not used.

Description

Ink box

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of image formation, in particular to an ink box for an ink-jet printer.

Background

At present, a mainstream large-capacity split type ink box exists in the market, an ink bag is arranged in a closed shell of the ink box, and ink is led out through suction or the extrusion action of an air bag during printing or copying. In order to prevent the phenomenon of idle ejection, the printer needs to automatically stop working when the ink is exhausted, so that whether the ink in the ink cartridge is exhausted needs to be detected in the printing or copying process.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In order to overcome the problems of the prior art, the main object of the present application is to provide an ink cartridge with high ink detection accuracy and low cost.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the following technical solutions are specifically adopted in the present application:

the application provides an ink box, is applied to printing equipment, printing equipment includes many contact pins, the ink box includes:

a housing provided with a liquid containing portion for containing ink;

the chip board is movably arranged on the shell, and at least two external contacts are arranged on one side of the chip board, which is far away from the shell;

the detector is arranged on the shell and used for changing the distance between the chip board and the contact pins according to the ink output condition of the ink box so as to control the connection or disconnection between at least one external contact and the corresponding contact pin.

In some embodiments, the detector includes a driving portion and an ink discharging portion connected to the driving portion, the ink in the liquid containing portion being able to be output to the printing apparatus through the ink discharging portion, the driving portion having a first state and a second state according to an ink output flow rate of the ink discharging portion;

when the driving part is in a first state, each external contact is connected with the corresponding contact pin, and when the driving part is in a second state, at least one external contact is disconnected with the corresponding contact pin.

In some embodiments, the driving portion is deformable to have the first state and the second state according to an ink flow rate of the ink discharging portion;

when the driving part is in the first state, the chip board moves in a direction approaching the contact pins to connect the external contacts with the corresponding contact pins, and when the driving part is in the second state, the chip board moves in a direction separating from the contact pins to disconnect at least one of the external contacts from the corresponding contact pins.

In some embodiments, the driving portion includes a deformation chamber, the ink outlet portion includes a first flow channel and a second flow channel, one end of the first flow channel is communicated with the liquid accommodating portion, and the other end of the first flow channel is communicated with the second flow channel through the deformation chamber, so that the ink in the liquid accommodating portion can be output through the first flow channel, the deformation chamber and the second flow channel in sequence;

the driving part can generate deformation according to the ink flow rate flowing through the deformation cavity.

In some embodiments, the driving part comprises a bottom plate and a tympanic membrane, the tympanic membrane comprises a deformation region and an annular region around the deformation region, the bottom plate is connected to the ink outlet part, and the annular region is connected to the bottom plate, so that the deformation region and the bottom plate form the deformation cavity;

the bottom plate is provided with first through holes and second through holes at intervals, the first flow channel is communicated with the deformation cavity through the first through holes, and the second flow channel is communicated with the deformation cavity through the second through holes.

In some embodiments, the driving portion further includes an inner supporting member, the inner supporting member is disposed in the deformation cavity, one end of the inner supporting member abuts against the bottom plate, the other end of the inner supporting member is used for supporting the deformation region, and the inner supporting member can be linearly deformed in a direction perpendicular to the bottom plate.

In some embodiments, the bottom plate is provided with a positioning groove, and one end of the inner support member abutting against the bottom plate is located in the positioning groove.

In some embodiments, a projection of at least one of the outer contacts in the deformation direction of the inner strut is located within a deformation region of the tympanic membrane.

In some embodiments, the detector further includes a check member disposed at the first through hole for preventing the ink in the deformation chamber from flowing back into the first flow channel. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the first flow passage is greater than the cross-sectional area of the second flow passage.

In some embodiments, the chip board is hinged to the casing by a pin so that the chip board can rotate around the pin, and the external contact is disposed at one end of the chip board away from the pin.

In some embodiments, the chip board includes a swing frame and a substrate, the swing frame is hinged to the housing through a pin so that the swing frame can rotate around the pin, an axial extension direction of the pin is intersected with a deformation direction of the inner support member, the substrate is disposed on a side of the swing frame facing away from the housing, and the outer contact is disposed on a side of the substrate facing away from the swing frame.

In some embodiments, a side of the substrate facing away from the swing frame is provided with a recess, at least one of the external contacts being located in the recess.

In some embodiments, the base plate is provided with a notch portion at an end away from the pin, and at least one of the outer contacts is located on a side wall of the notch portion.

Compared with the prior art, the ink box of this application includes the casing, chipboard and detector, the casing is equipped with the liquid containing part that is used for holding the ink, the chipboard movably sets up in the casing, and the chipboard is equipped with two at least external contacts in the one side of keeping away from the casing, the detector sets up in the casing, a distance for changing chipboard and contact pin according to the ink output condition of ink box, in order to control at least one external contact and the switch-on or the disconnection that corresponds the contact pin, when the ink in this ink box is used up, through the electric connection disconnection between at least one external contact of detector control and the corresponding contact pin, make the chip not think the machine and make inkjet printing equipment stop work, its china ink detects the precision height as far as possible, and owing to do not use the sensor, it is with low costs.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a structural view of an ink cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 is an internal structural view of an ink cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 3 is a matching structure diagram of the detector, the ink cartridge electrical connection portion, and the printer electrical connection portion according to the embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 is a structural diagram of a detector in an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a detector in an ink cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 6 is a structural diagram of an electrical connection portion of an ink cartridge in an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7 is a structural view of a first modification of a substrate in an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 8 is a structural view of a second modification example of a substrate in an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 9 is a structural view of a substrate in an ink cartridge according to another embodiment of the present application.

The attached drawings are as follows:

1. a housing; 10. a liquid containing section; 11. an upper surface; 12. a lower surface; 13. a front surface; 14. a rear surface; 15. a first side; 16. a first side surface; 2. an electrical part; 21. a chip board; 211. a substrate; 211a, a recess; 211b, a notch portion; 212. a swing frame; 212a, a receptacle; 22. a functional circuit; 221. an outer contact; 221a, a first terminal; 221b, a second terminal; 23. a pin shaft; 3. a detector; 31. a drive section; 311. a deformation chamber; 312. a base plate; 313. a tympanic membrane; 313a, deformation zone; 313b, an annular region; 314. an inner support member; 32. an ink outlet portion; 321. a first flow passage; 322. a second flow passage; 322a, a lead-out port; 33. a check member; 100. an ink cartridge; 200. a printer electrical connection; 201. a stylus.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the present application is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

In the description of the present application, unless explicitly stated or limited otherwise, the terms "first", "second", and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance; the term "plurality" means two or more than two unless otherwise specified or indicated; the terms "connected," "fixed," and the like are to be construed broadly and may, for example, be fixedly connected, detachably connected, integrally connected, or electrically connected; may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art as appropriate.

In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "upper" and "lower" used in the description of the embodiments of the present application are used in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. In addition, in this context, it will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being "on" or "under" another element, it can be directly on "or" under "the other element or be indirectly on" or "under" the other element via an intermediate element.

Generally, an inkjet printing apparatus includes a main body, an ink cartridge mounted to the main body for supplying ink to the inkjet printing apparatus, and a printer electrical connection part mounted to the main body, and electrically connected to the printer electrical connection part, thereby achieving communication between the ink cartridge and the inkjet printing apparatus.

Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present application, and fig. 2 is an internal structure view of the ink cartridge provided in the embodiment of the present application. The ink cartridge 100 includes a housing 1, a detector 3, and an electrical part 2 for electrically connecting to an electrical connection part 200 of a printer, wherein the housing 1 is provided with a liquid containing part 10 for containing ink, and the liquid containing part has an upper surface 11 and a lower surface 12 which are oppositely arranged, a front surface 13 and a rear surface 14 which are oppositely arranged, and a first side surface 15 and a second side surface 16 which are oppositely arranged. The electrical part 2 is disposed on the housing 1, and the electrical part 2 includes at least one functional circuit 22, and the functional circuit 22 is electrically connected to the printer electrical connection part 200. The detector 3 is disposed in the casing 1 and is used for controlling the on/off of the electrical connection between the at least one functional circuit 22 and the printer electrical connection portion 200 according to the output condition of the ink in the ink cartridge 100.

Referring to fig. 3, fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of the detector, the chip board and the electrical connection portion of the printer according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The electrical part 2 further includes a chip board 21, the chip board 21 is disposed on the upper surface 11 of the housing 1, and the printer electrical connection part 200, the chip board 21 and the detector 3 are sequentially disposed along a plumb direction (the plumb direction is a direction in which the upper surface points to the lower surface, and a Z direction in fig. 1). The functional circuit 22 is at least partially disposed on the chip board 21. The detector 3 is located on one side of the chip board 21 facing the housing 1, and includes a driving portion 31 and an ink outlet portion 32, the driving portion 31 can be abutted against one side of the chip board 21 facing the housing 1, the ink outlet portion 32 is connected to the driving portion 31, the ink in the liquid containing portion 10 can be output to the printing apparatus through the ink outlet portion 32, and the driving portion 31 can change the distance from at least a part of the chip board 21 to the printer electrical connection portion 200 according to the ink flow rate of the ink outlet portion 32, so that the driving portion 31 has a first state and a second state. Each functional circuit 22 is connected to the printer electrical connection 200 when the drive section 31 is in the first state, and at least one functional circuit 22 is disconnected from the printer electrical connection 200 when the drive section 31 is in the second state.

Specifically, the printer electrical connection section 200 includes a plurality of contact pins 201 for mating with the external contacts 221, and the chip board 21 is movably disposed in the housing 1 so that the chip board 21 can be displaced in the plumb direction. Each of the functional circuits 22 includes at least two external contacts 221 and a circuit segment, the external contacts 221 are disposed on a side of the chip board 21 facing away from the housing 1 for electrically connecting with the printer electrical connection portion 200, the circuit segment is at least partially disposed on the chip board 21, and the circuit segment is electrically connected with the external contacts 221. When the driving unit 31 is in the first state, the chip board 21 moves toward the printer electrical connection unit 200 to bring each external contact 221 into contact with a corresponding contact pin of the printer electrical connection unit 200, and when the driving unit 31 is in the second state, the chip board 21 moves away from the printer electrical connection unit 200 to bring at least one external contact 221 out of contact with a corresponding contact pin of the printer electrical connection unit 200.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, fig. 4 is a structural diagram of an ink cartridge detector provided in an embodiment of the present application, and fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge detector provided in the embodiment of the present application. The driving part 31 comprises a bottom plate 312 and a flexible tympanic membrane 313, the bottom plate 312 is connected to the ink outlet part 32, the tympanic membrane 313 comprises an annular region 313b and a deformation region 313a located in the annular region 313b, the annular region 313b is attached to the edge of the bottom plate 312, and the deformation region 313a and the bottom plate 312 enclose the deformation cavity 311. Wherein, the outer side of the deformation region 313a is used for abutting against the chip board 21. The ink outlet portion 32 includes a first flow channel 321, a second flow channel 322, and an outlet 322a, one end of the first flow channel 321 communicates with the liquid containing portion 10, the other end of the first flow channel 321 communicates with one end of the second flow channel 322 through the deformation cavity 311, the other end of the second flow channel 322 communicates with the outside of the housing 1 through the outlet 322a, and ink in the liquid containing portion 10 can be sequentially output through the first flow channel 321, the deformation cavity 311, the second flow channel 322, and the outlet 322 a. The driving portion 31 is deformable in the plumb direction in accordance with the flow rate of ink flowing through the deformation chamber 311 to have a first state and a second state.

Further, the bottom plate 312 is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole at intervals, the first flow channel 321 is communicated with the deformation cavity 311 through the first through hole of the bottom plate, and the second flow channel 322 is communicated with the deformation cavity 311 through the second through hole of the bottom plate 312.

In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the first flow passage 321 is larger than that of the second flow passage 322. The cross-sectional area of the first flow channel 321 is larger than that of the second flow channel 322 to increase the flowing pressure of the ink, so that the deformation area 313a of the tympanic membrane 313 can be sufficiently supported when the ink flows through the deformation cavity 311, and the chip board 21 can be driven to move towards the direction close to the electrical connection part 200 of the printer.

Further, the driving portion 31 further includes an elastic inner support 314, the inner support 314 is disposed in the deformation cavity 311, one end of the inner support 314 abuts against the bottom plate 312, and the other end of the inner support 314 is used for supporting the deformation region 313a, and meanwhile, the inner support 314 can be linearly deformed along a direction perpendicular to the bottom plate 312 to support the deformation region 313a of the tympanic membrane 313, so as to ensure that at least a portion of the outer contact 221 (the first terminal) can be stably abutted against the corresponding contact pin all the time. The detector 3 further includes a check member 33, and the check member 33 is disposed at the first channel of the bottom plate 312 for preventing the ink in the deformation chamber 311 from flowing back into the first flow channel 321. In the present embodiment, the bottom plate 312 is provided with a positioning groove, one end of the inner supporting member 314 abutting against the bottom plate 312 is located in the positioning groove, and the other end of the inner supporting member 314 is used for supporting the deformation region 313a of the tympanic membrane 313.

Referring to fig. 6, fig. 6 is a structural diagram of an electrical connection portion of an ink cartridge in an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The chip board 21 includes a base board 211 and a swing frame 212, the swing frame 212 includes a connection end and a movable end, the connection end of the swing frame 212 is hinged to the housing 1 through a pin 23, so that the movable end of the swing frame 212 can rotate around the pin 23, and the swing frame 212 can generate displacement in the deformation direction of the inner support 314. The base plate 211 is arranged on the side of the swing frame 212 facing away from the housing 1, and the external contact 221 is arranged on the side of the base plate 211 facing away from the swing frame 212.

In the present embodiment, the axial extension direction of the pin 23 intersects with the deformation direction of the inner support 314, and preferably, the axial extension direction of the pin 23 is perpendicular to the deformation direction of the inner support 314.

Referring to fig. 9, in some embodiments, the external contact 221 includes two first terminals 221a and two second terminals 221b, where the two first terminals 221a are both short-circuit detection terminals for detecting the installation of the ink cartridge, and if any one of the first terminals 221a is separated from the corresponding contact pin, the entire set of 4 ink cartridges cannot be identified. The number of the second terminals 221b is seven, if any second terminal 221b is separated from the corresponding contact pin, the ink box corresponding to the chip can be disabled, so that the printing equipment can stop working and give an abnormal prompt of the corresponding ink box, and a user can judge that the specific ink box is completely filled according to the abnormal prompt, thereby achieving the purpose of detecting the ink shortage. Therefore, the first terminal 221a needs to be kept in an on state with the corresponding contact pin, and the driving portion 31 is used to control the on/off of the second terminal 221b with the corresponding contact pin according to the ink flow rate of the ink discharging portion 32, so as to achieve the purpose of detecting the ink exhaustion. The vertical distance between the first terminal 221a and the pin shaft 23 is smaller than the vertical distance between the second terminal and the pin shaft 23, and the projection of at least one second terminal 221b in the deformation direction of the inner support 314 is located in the deformation region 313a, so that the eardrum 313 directly acts on the position of the second terminal 221b when being supported, and the second terminal 221b can be more easily separated from the contact pin, which is favorable for improving the ink-out detection sensitivity.

Specifically, when the driving portion 31 is in the first state, each of the first terminals and the second terminals abuts against a corresponding contact pin of the printer electrical connection portion 200, and when the driving portion 31 is in the second state, at least one of the second terminals is separated from the corresponding contact pin of the printer electrical connection portion 200, the inkjet printing apparatus may stop operating and issue an abnormal prompt of the corresponding ink cartridge, and the user may infer that the ink in the specific ink cartridge 100 is used up based on the abnormal prompt, thereby achieving the purpose of detecting the ink exhaustion.

In the present embodiment, the chip plate 21 is rotationally displaceable in the deformation direction of the inner support member 314, and it is understood that in other embodiments, the movement of the chip plate 21 is not limited to rotation, and any movement capable of displacing in the deformation direction of the inner support member 314 is possible.

Furthermore, one side of the swing frame 212 facing the housing 1 can be in contact with the deformation area 313a of the tympanic membrane 313, one side of the swing frame 212 facing away from the housing 1 is provided with a concave accommodating portion 212a, the shape and size of the accommodating portion 212a correspond to the shape and size of the substrate 211, the substrate 211 is disposed in the accommodating portion 212a, and the substrate 211 is positioned by the accommodating portion 212 a.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 7, fig. 7 is a structural diagram of a first modified example of a substrate in an ink cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The base plate 211 is provided with a recess 211a at a side facing away from the swing frame 212, and at least one second terminal is located in the recess 211 a. This embodiment contributes to an improvement in ink-exhaustion detection sensitivity by providing the external contact 221 in the recess 211a of the substrate 211 so that the second terminal can be more easily detached from the corresponding contact pin.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 8, fig. 8 is a structural diagram of a second modified example of a substrate in an ink cartridge according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The base plate 211 is provided with a notch portion 211b at an end remote from the pin shaft 23, and at least one second terminal is located on a side wall of the notch portion 211b, which may be used for mating contact with a corresponding contact pin. The present embodiment contributes to improvement of detection sensitivity by providing the second terminal on the side wall of the notch portion 211b of the board 211 so that the second terminal can be more easily detached from the corresponding contact pin.

In a specific implementation, when the ink in the ink accommodating chamber is sufficient, the tympanic membrane 313 is sufficiently swollen by the ink flowing through the deformation chamber 311 to jack up the chip board 21 and make all the external contacts 221 contact with the corresponding contact pins. After the ink in the ink accommodating cavity is basically used up, the ink flow speed in the deformation cavity 311 is slowed down or no ink flows through, which is not enough to ensure the full swelling of the tympanic membrane 313, at this time, only part of the external contact (the first terminal) can be ensured to be stably contacted with the corresponding contact pin through the support of the internal support piece, but at least one second terminal can be separated from the corresponding contact pin, so that the ink cartridge 100 can not indirectly realize the purpose of ink-out detection through the detection of the ink-jet printing device.

In the embodiment, the driving part 31 is deformed in the direction perpendicular to the bottom plate 312 to drive the chip board 21 to displace in the direction perpendicular to the bottom plate 312, so that the connection condition of at least one second terminal and the corresponding contact pin is changed, the ink cartridge is not recognized, a sensor is not needed in the detection process, and the cost is low.

The above description is only for the preferred embodiment of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the present application should be covered within the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge applied to a printing apparatus including a plurality of contact pins, comprising:

a housing provided with a liquid containing portion for containing ink;

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the detector includes a driving portion and an ink discharging portion, the ink discharging portion being connected to the driving portion, the ink in the liquid containing portion being able to be output to a printing apparatus through the ink discharging portion, the driving portion having a first state and a second state according to an ink output flow rate of the ink discharging portion;

3. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the driving portion is deformable to have the first state and the second state in accordance with an ink flow rate of the ink discharging portion;

when the driving unit is in the first state, the chip board is moved in a direction to approach the contact pins to connect the external contacts to the corresponding contact pins, and when the driving unit is in the second state, the chip board is moved in a direction to separate from the contact pins to disconnect at least one of the external contacts from the corresponding contact pin.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein said driving portion includes a deformation chamber, said ink discharging portion includes a first flow path and a second flow path, one end of said first flow path communicates with said liquid containing portion, and the other end of said first flow path communicates with said second flow path via said deformation chamber, so that the ink in said liquid containing portion can be sequentially discharged via said first flow path, said deformation chamber, and said second flow path;

5. The ink cartridge as claimed in claim 4, wherein the driving part includes a bottom plate and a drum, the drum includes a deformation region and an annular region around the deformation region, the bottom plate is connected to the ink discharging part, and the annular region is connected to the bottom plate such that the deformation region and the bottom plate constitute the deformation chamber;

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the driving portion further comprises an inner supporting member, the inner supporting member is disposed in the deformation cavity, one end of the inner supporting member abuts against the bottom plate, the other end of the inner supporting member is configured to support the deformation region, and the inner supporting member is capable of linearly deforming in a direction perpendicular to the bottom plate.

7. The ink cartridge as claimed in claim 6, wherein the bottom plate is provided with a positioning groove, and one end of the inner stay abutting against the bottom plate is located in the positioning groove.

8. The ink cartridge of claim 6, wherein a projection of at least one of the outer contacts in a deformation direction of the inner support is located within a deformation region of the tympanic membrane.

9. The ink cartridge as claimed in claim 5, wherein the detector further includes a check member provided at the first through hole for preventing the ink in the deformation chamber from flowing back into the first flow path.

10. The ink cartridge as claimed in claim 4, wherein a cross-sectional area of the first flow path is larger than a cross-sectional area of the second flow path.

11. The ink cartridge of claim 6, wherein the chip board is hinged to the housing by a pin such that the chip board can rotate about the pin, the external contact being disposed at an end of the chip board remote from the pin.

12. The ink cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein the chip board comprises a swing frame and a base board, the swing frame is hinged to the housing through the pin, so that the swing frame can rotate around the pin, the axial extension direction of the pin intersects with the deformation direction of the inner support member, the base board is disposed on a side of the swing frame facing away from the housing, and the outer contact is disposed on a side of the base board facing away from the swing frame.

13. The ink cartridge of claim 12, wherein a side of the substrate facing away from the swing frame is provided with a recess, at least one of the external contacts being located in the recess.

14. The ink cartridge according to claim 12, wherein said substrate is provided with a notched portion at an end remote from said pin, and at least one of said external contacts is located on a side wall of said notched portion.