KR20170019065A - The Unlimiting Refill Ink Supply Apparatus For Print Cartidge - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an unlimited refill ink supply apparatus and, more specifically, to an unlimited refill ink supply apparatus which efficiently supplies ink used in a printer, facilitates ink refilling work, and displays a remaining amount of ink on the outside to improve user convenience. Therefore, according to the present invention, the unlimited refill ink supply apparatus comprises: a main body having a plurality of divided accommodation spaces; an ink storage unit which is inserted or withdrawn from the accommodation spaces of the main body, and includes a housing which is disposed on one end thereof and has an ink outlet to discharge ink to the outside, an ink storage pack positioned in the housing to supply ink, and a remaining amount checking member positioned on an upper end of the ink storage pack to be gradually lowered as a remaining amount of ink in the ink storage pack is reduced; and an ink connector which is installed in the main body and includes an ink accommodation member having an airtight connection valve to accommodate a portion of the ink storage unit to be mounted on the ink outlet in an airtight manner, and a detection sensor to come in contact with the remaining amount checking member to detect the remaining amount of ink.

Description

The Unlimited Refill Ink Supply Apparatus for Print Cartridge

The present invention relates to an infinite refill ink supply apparatus, and more particularly, to an infinite refill ink supply apparatus capable of efficiently supplying ink used in a printing apparatus, refilling ink easily, displaying an ink remaining amount on the outside, The present invention relates to an infinite refill ink supply apparatus.

Generally, as the use of computers in a workplace or a home is becoming commonplace, it is one of the means for printing information such as documents and pictures worked on a computer and printing information on a program in a computer. As a means for printing various information Type printer (printer) is provided and used.

An ink cartridge (ink cartridge), which plays an important role in a printing operation, is provided as a replaceable part or consumable part of the configuration of such a printer by constructing a structure in which the corresponding ink is spread on the paper according to a print command.

However, the disadvantage of the ink cartridge is that it is disposable to be replaced due to continuous consumption of ink. Therefore, if the ink cartridge is filled with ink, the ink cartridge needs to be replaced with a new one.

Thereby, an ink refill type in which the ink cartridge is reused by recharging only the ink in the ink cartridge which is the mounting configuration of the printer without discarding the ink cartridge consuming all of the ink used in the printer is applied. This ink refilling method has an advantage that it is less expensive than replacing the ink cartridge with a new one, and protects the environment and prevents waste of resources.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-518313 (Sep. 23, 2005) discloses an ink refilling apparatus for an ink cartridge comprising a cartridge body having an ink inlet and an ink nozzle and a cartridge lid having an air inlet, A main body including a first ink injection portion having therein a storage space for accommodating the ink cartridge therein and having an ink flow path through which ink can flow at one side; An ink injector provided with a second ink injection unit to be coupled with the first ink injection unit for injecting ink into the ink cartridge; And an ink absorber disposed in contact with the ink nozzle inside the body adjacent to the first ink injection unit to absorb ink leaked from the ink nozzle upon refilling the ink, An ink refill apparatus for an ink cartridge capable of preventing environmental contamination due to breakage is constructed by a structure in which a predetermined elastic member is provided to face the first ink injection unit to facilitate detachment of the ink.

However, since the conventional ink refill apparatus described above adopts a die-casting structure, ink is refilled every time ink is consumed in the ink cartridge of the printer, so that the operation and maintenance are very troublesome. It has a drawback that it is difficult.

As another conventional technique, in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0870695 (November 20, 2008), an ink supply pipe is connected to an air supply port of an ink cartridge which supplies ink to an ink injection nozzle of a printer while storing ink And an ink reservoir provided outside the print is connected to the ink supply pipe, all other parts except the hole through which the ink supply pipe of the ink cartridge is connected are sealed, and ink is used in the ink cartridge mounted on the printer An air supply port is formed in the ink reservoir to automatically supply the ink in the reservoir provided in the outside of the print by the atmospheric pressure. In order to visually recognize the remaining amount of ink in the reservoir, The ink supply device according to claim 1, The ink supply port is provided with a stopper, the air inlet is provided with a lid, the ink reservoir has a connection bracket protruding from one side, and a connection bracket is formed on the other side of the ink reservoir, And a plurality of ink reservoirs can be connected through the connection brackets and the connection grooves. The ink supply pipe is connected to the air supply port using an adapter and a plug, Wherein the four ink storage tubes are used to supply ink in accordance with the three primary colors and black and white, and the four ink supply tubes are also provided as a set. Is known.

However, since the infinite ink supply device of the printer needs to check the remaining amount of ink by looking at the ink reservoir, the ink reservoir must be made of transparent plastic, and the pressure between the ink storage and ink cartridges must be kept constant, Thus, the ink reservoir must include a structure in which air is introduced into the ink reservoir. Accordingly, since the ink contained in the ink reservoir is exposed to light and air, the ink may be deteriorated to deteriorate the print quality, cause a printer failure such as clogging of the nozzles, and can not be used with ink for a long time. The ink can not be increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge which can easily refill and supply ink into a main body by pulling in or pulling out the ink reservoir, And it is an object of the present invention to provide an infinite refill ink supply device capable of improving convenience in use.

The infinite refill ink supply device proposed by the present invention includes a main body having a plurality of divided accommodating spaces, and a main body accommodating space configured to be drawn into or drawn out from the main body accommodating space, and having an ink outflow port An ink storage unit disposed in the housing and configured to supply ink to the ink storage unit; and an ink storage unit disposed at an upper end of the ink storage pack and configured to be lowered as the remaining amount of ink remaining in the ink storage pack decreases; An ink containing member provided inside the main body and having a hermetic connection valve that receives a part of the ink storage unit and hermetically couples with the ink outflow port and a detection sensor that contacts the remaining amount check member and detects the remaining amount of ink And an ink connector configured.

The main body has a remaining amount indicator portion and a power button for indicating the remaining amount of the ink storage portion.

The main body is configured to draw a plurality of ink storing portions into a plurality of divided receiving spaces, respectively, while one surface of the ink storing portion is exposed to the outside.

The main body is provided with a fixing member for varying the height of the fixing protrusion by moving the main body to have a tilt forward and backward with respect to the central axis, and the position fixing groove is formed in the ink storing portion to be fixed to the position fixing groove of the ink storing portion, The projections are engaged to fix the position of the ink reservoir.

The housing of the ink reservoir includes a base frame having an upper surface opened and supporting an ink reservoir pack and a remaining amount check member disposed therein, and a cover member closing the opened upper surface of the base frame, .

The remaining amount check member of the ink reservoir is formed in the shape of a plate, at least one check protrusion protruding downward from the edge is formed, a through hole is formed at the edge of the lower end of the housing corresponding to the position of the check protrusion, And is configured to pass through the lower end of the housing

The ink reservoir of the ink reservoir includes a reservoir formed to receive a predetermined amount of ink therein and a connection member provided at one end of the reservoir and configured to be connected to the air valve.

The storage pack has a straight structure extending laterally so as to secure an internal storage capacity.

Both sides of the storage pack have a straight shape or an M shape.

The airtight connection valve of the ink connector uses a check valve or a solenoid valve.

The infinite refill ink supply device proposed by the present invention supplies ink in a hermetically connected state, so that it is possible to discharge ink in a proper amount, thereby preventing a small supply of ink and an overfeeding phenomenon of ink, Effect is obtained.

In addition, it is possible to improve ease of use by allowing ink to be easily refilled by pulling in or out the ink reservoir in the hand space of the main body of the ink supply apparatus. The ink remaining amount of the ink reservoir is detected, The remaining amount of the ink is displayed on the display unit, and the operation and maintenance are very easy.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment according to the present invention;
2 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment according to the present invention.
3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an ink storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an ink storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 (a) and 5 (b) are front views showing an ink supply pack of an ink storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a remaining amount check member and a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view showing an airtight connection valve of an ink connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to an infinite refill ink supply apparatus, comprising: a main body having a plurality of divided receiving spaces; a main body accommodating space formed in the main body accommodating space and having an ink outflow port An ink storage unit disposed in the housing and configured to supply ink to the ink storage unit; and an ink storage unit disposed at an upper end of the ink storage pack and configured to be lowered as the remaining amount of ink remaining in the ink storage pack decreases; An ink containing member provided inside the main body and having a hermetic connection valve that receives a part of the ink storage unit and hermetically couples with the ink outflow port and a detection sensor that contacts the remaining amount check member and detects the remaining amount of ink And an ink connector which is constituted by the ink cartridge.

The main body includes a fixing member for varying the height of the fixing protrusion by moving the main body to have a tilt forward and backward with respect to the center axis, and the position fixing groove is formed in the ink storing portion, The fixing protrusions are engaged with each other to fix the position of the ink reservoir.

In addition, the housing of the ink reservoir is composed of a base frame having an upper surface opened and supporting the ink reservoir pack and the remaining amount check member disposed therein, and a cover member closing the opened upper surface of the base frame, So as to be replaceable.

Next, a preferred embodiment of the infinite refill ink supplying apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2, the endless refill ink supplying apparatus according to the present invention includes a main body 100, an ink reservoir 200, and an ink connector 300.

The main body 100 is provided with an ink connector 300 and a plurality of divided receiving spaces 110 so as to be able to draw in or draw out the ink storage unit 200. The main body 100 is configured to accommodate the ink reservoir 200 in the accommodation space 110 so that one side of the ink reservoir 200 is exposed to the outside so that the ink reservoir 200 can be easily drawn out do.

The main body 100 includes a remaining amount display unit 120 for easily checking the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage unit 200 and a power button 130 for selecting whether the general technical constructions of the present invention are activated or not .

The main body 100 is provided with a fixing member 140 for fixing the ink storage part 200 drawn into the accommodation space 110.

The fixing member 140 moves back and forth with respect to the center shaft 143 to fix or drop the ink storage part 200. [ The fixing member 140 is fixed to the position fixing groove 217 of the ink storage part 200 by forming the fixing protrusion 145 protruding upward.

3, the ink storage unit 200 includes a plurality of ink storage units 200 so that the ink storage units 200 can be respectively drawn into or drawn out from the plurality of divided storage spaces 110. [ A housing 210 in which an ink outlet 211 is formed to allow the ink contained in the ink storage chamber to flow out to the outside, an ink storage pack 220 positioned inside the housing 210 to supply ink, 220, and the remaining amount check member 230 gradually drops as the remaining amount of ink remaining in the ink storage pack 220 decreases.

The ink storage unit 200 may be configured to different colors of the ink in the internal ink storage pack 220 when the ink storage unit 200 is drawn into the plurality of divided storage spaces 110, respectively.

The ink reservoir 200 may be integrally formed with the ink reservoir pack 220 and the remaining amount check member 230 disposed inside the housing 210. When the ink storage unit 200 is integrally formed, the ink storage unit 200 is drawn out from the accommodation space 110 and then another ink storage unit 200 is received in the accommodation space 110 ).

The ink storage unit 200 may be configured to separate the housing 210 and replace the ink storage pack 220 therein. More specifically, the housing 210 is formed with a base frame 213 for supporting the ink supply pack 230, which is opened on an upper surface thereof, and a cover member 215 for closing the opened upper surface of the base frame 213 do. The cover member 215 can be removed from the base frame 213 and the ink storage pack 230 is replaced and reused.

4, the housing 210 has a position fixing groove 217 formed at a lower portion of the base frame 213. The fixing protrusion 145 of the fixing member 140 when the housing 210 is inserted into the accommodation space 110, Is fixed to the position fixing groove 217 and fixed in position. When the position of the ink reservoir 200 is changed by applying pressure in the direction in which the ink reservoir 200 is drawn in, the fixing protrusion 145 of the fixing member 140, which is engaged with the position fixing groove 217, The ink cartridge 200 is removed from the fixing groove 217 and the ink storage unit 200 can be taken out.

One or more through grooves 219 may be formed in the lower part of the base 210 of the housing 210 so that the check protrusion 235 of the remaining amount check member 230 may be exposed to the outside.

The ink supply pack 220 is located inside the housing 210. The ink supply pack 220 includes a storage pack 223 for storing a predetermined amount of ink therein and a connecting member 225 having a structure capable of discharging ink.

The storage pack 223 is made of a vinyl material having a predetermined thickness (for example, PVC plastic, urethane vinyl, etc.), and is sealed in a sealed manner so that the ink can be received and stored. Further, the storage pack 223 has a straight structure extending in the transverse direction so as to sufficiently secure the internal storage capacity. If the storage pack 223 is extended to have a straight structure, a sufficient capacity for increasing the capacity of 50% or more of the same area can be stored.

As shown in FIG. 5, the storage pack 223 is configured such that both side surfaces thereof have a straight cross-sectional shape or both sides thereof have an M-shaped cross-sectional shape.

If the side surface of the storage pack 223 is formed in a straight line shape as shown in FIG. 5A, the manufacturing process is very easy and time and cost can be saved. On the other hand, if the side surface of the storage pack 223 is formed to have an M-shaped cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 5 (b), it is possible to secure more storage capacity.

The connection member 225 is provided at one end of the storage pack 223. The connection member 225 can be tightly fitted to the ink outlet 211 of the housing 210 so that the position of the ink supply pack 220 can be fixed when the connection member 225 is positioned inside the housing 210. The connecting member 225 is fastened to the airtight connection valve 311 together with the ink outlet 211 in a state of being tightly fitted to the ink outlet 211. That is, the connecting member 225 is structured to be able to discharge the ink stored in the storage pack 223 by being fastened to the ink containing member 310.

The remaining amount check member 230 is located within the housing 210 and is located at the top of the ink supply pack 220 so that the height of the ink supply pack 220 varies depending on the remaining amount of the ink, do. That is, when the ink supply pack 220 is full, the remaining amount check member 230 is located at the top of the housing 210. However, as the remaining amount of the ink in the ink supply pack 220 decreases due to the use of the ink, ).

The remaining amount check member 230 is formed in the shape of a thin plate so as not to occupy a large volume when positioned in the housing 210, and one or more check protrusions 235 projecting downward from the edge are formed.

6 (a), the check protrusion 235 is positioned at the top of the base frame 213 when the ink remaining amount of the ink supply pack 220 is large. 6 (b), the check protrusion 235 is gradually lowered when the ink remaining amount of the ink supply pack 220 is reduced due to the use of the ink, passes through the through hole 219 of the housing 210, Exposed. The check projection 235 exposed to the outside is brought into contact with the detection sensor 330 to measure the remaining amount of ink, and the measured remaining amount of ink is displayed on the remaining amount display portion 120 of the main body 100.

7, the ink connector 300 is installed inside the main body 100 and receives a part of the ink storage part 200 formed with the ink outlet 211 and is fastened. The ink connector 300 is configured to allow the ink stored in the ink reservoir 200 to be received and discharged.

The ink connector 300 includes an ink receiving member 310 for receiving and fastening the ink reservoir 200 and a sensing sensor 330 for sensing the ink remaining amount.

The ink containing member 310 is provided with a hermetic connection valve 311 so as to be hermetically sealed with the ink outlet 211 and the connecting member 225. It is preferable that the airtight connection valve 311 uses a check valve or a solenoid valve so that the airtight connection valve 311 can be engaged with or detached from the ink outlet 211 and the connection member 225 in accordance with a control signal.

The detection sensor 330 detects the presence of the check protrusion 235 when the ink storage unit 200 is received in the receiving space 110 of the main body 100 and the check protrusion 235 of the remaining amount check member 230 is lowered. Is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the check projection 235 so that the detection projection 330 can be detected.

One or more of the detection sensors 330 may detect the falling protrusion 235 and may measure the remaining amount of the ink to be displayed on the remaining amount display unit 120.

The infinite refill ink supplying apparatus according to the present invention includes an ink reservoir 200 for accommodating the fixing protrusion 145 of the fixing member 140 to the position fixing groove 217 in the accommodation space 110 of the main body 100, ) To fix the position. A part of the ink storage part 200 drawn into the accommodation space 110 is received in the ink accommodation member 310 and the airtight connection valve part 311 of the ink accommodation member 310 and the ink outflow port 211 and the connection member (225) is tightened in an airtight state, and the ink is properly discharged to the apparatus, thereby improving the printing performance of the apparatus.

In addition, the remaining amount check member 230 of the ink storage unit 200 is gradually lowered to contact the detection sensor 330 as the ink remaining amount of the ink supply pack 220 decreases. Since the remaining amount of ink detected by the detection sensor 330 is displayed on the remaining amount display unit 120 of the main body 100, the remaining amount of ink can be visually confirmed from the outside, thereby improving convenience in use.

In addition, by applying pressure in the direction in which the ink storage part 200 is fixed in the accommodation space 110, the fixing protrusion 145 bound to the position fixing groove 217 is removed, And the ink supply pack 220 located in the housing 210 of the ink storage unit 200 can be easily replaced. Thus, the ink refilling operation and maintenance can be simplified.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, substitutions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. will be. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention and the accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate and not to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments and the accompanying drawings . The scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of equivalents should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

100: main body 110: accommodation space 120: remaining amount indicator
130: power button 140: fixing member 143: central axis
145: fixing protrusion 200: ink storage part 210: housing
211: ink outlet 213: base frame 215: cover member
217: Position fixing groove 219: Through groove 220: Ink supply pack
223: storage pack 225: connecting member 230: remaining amount check member
235: check protrusion 300: ink connector 310: ink receiving member
311: airtight connection valve 330: detection sensor

Claims (10)

A main body having a plurality of divided accommodation spaces;
A housing having an ink outlet formed at one end thereof to allow ink to flow out to the outside, an ink storage pack disposed inside the housing to supply ink, And an ink storage unit configured to be lowered as the remaining amount of ink remaining in the ink storage pack decreases,
An ink containing member provided inside the main body and provided with an airtight connection valve which receives a part of the ink storage portion and hermetically couples with the ink outlet; and a detection sensor which is in contact with the remaining amount check member and detects the remaining amount of ink And an ink connector for supplying ink to the endless refill ink supply unit.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the main body has a remaining amount indicator portion and a power button for displaying the remaining amount of the ink storage portion on the outside thereof.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the main body is configured to draw a plurality of ink storage portions into a plurality of divided receiving spaces, respectively, and one surface of the ink storage portion is exposed to the outside.
The method according to claim 1,
The main body is provided with a fixing member for varying the height of the fixing protrusion by moving the main body to have a tilt forward and backward with respect to the central axis, and the position fixing groove is formed in the ink storing portion to be fixed to the position fixing groove of the ink storing portion, And the projection is engaged to fix the position of the ink reservoir.
The method according to claim 1,
The housing of the ink reservoir includes a base frame having an upper surface opened and supporting an ink reservoir pack and a remaining amount check member disposed therein, and a cover member closing the opened upper surface of the base frame, And the ink supply unit supplies ink to the ink supply unit.
The method according to claim 1,
The remaining amount check member of the ink reservoir is formed in the shape of a plate, at least one check protrusion protruding downward from the edge is formed, a through hole is formed at the edge of the lower end of the housing corresponding to the position of the check protrusion, And is configured to pass through the lower end of the housing.
The method according to claim 1,
The ink reservoir of the ink reservoir may include a storage pack formed to receive a predetermined amount of ink therein and a connection member provided at one end of the reservoir pack and configured to be connected to the airtight connection valve The infinite refill ink supply device.
The method of claim 7,
Wherein the storage pack has a straight structure extending laterally so as to secure an internal storage capacity.
The method of claim 7,
Wherein the storage pack has both side faces of a straight or " M " -shaped cross-sectional shape.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the airtight connection valve of the ink connector uses a check valve or a solenoid valve.

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