Ink Cartridge

Abstract

The present invention provides an ink cartridge applied to a printer. The ink cartridge includes an ink cartridge body and a connection component. The connection component is used to detachably connect the ink cartridge body to the printer. The ink cartridge body is used to store ink, and a liquid level detection part for detecting the remaining amount of ink is provided on the ink cartridge body. The printer is provided with an installation part, and the ink cartridge body can extend into or out of the installation part along the disassembly and assembly direction. Both the connection component and the liquid level detection part are located at the same end of the ink cartridge body along the direction of the maximum dimension. In the ink cartridge of the present invention, the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection part of the ink cartridge is small, and the detection accuracy of the remaining amount of ink is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of printers, and particularly to an ink cartridge. Background Art

[0002] A printer is a commonly used office appliance for jetting ink on paper to form preset characters, images, etc.

[0003] A printer includes an ink cartridge. An installation part for accommodating the ink cartridge is provided on the printer. The ink cartridge is fixedly connected to the installation part through a connection component. Ink in the ink cartridge can be introduced into the printer to achieve a printing task. Among them, a liquid level detection part is provided on the ink cartridge for detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge, and the liquid level detection part is usually arranged at a position of the ink cartridge opposite to the bottom wall of the groove of the installation part.

[0004] Among them, for the convenience of users to disassemble and assemble the ink cartridge, the connection component is usually arranged at the opening position of the installation part. In this way, when the printer shakes, the ink cartridge can shake relative to the main body with the connection component as a fulcrum, and the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection part is relatively large, and the detection accuracy of the remaining amount of ink is relatively poor. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ink cartridge, in which the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection part of the ink cartridge is relatively small, and the detection accuracy of the remaining amount of ink is relatively high.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the embodiment of the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention provides an ink cartridge applied to a printer, which includes an ink cartridge body and a connection component. The connection component is used to detachably connect the ink cartridge body to the printer. The ink cartridge body is used to store ink. A liquid level detection part for detecting the remaining amount of ink is provided on the ink cartridge body; the printer is provided with an installation part, and the ink cartridge body can extend into or out of the installation part along the disassembly and assembly direction; both the connection component and the liquid level detection part are located at the same end of the ink cartridge body along the maximum dimension direction.

[0008] In some optional embodiments, the dimension of the ink cartridge body along the disassembly and assembly direction is greater than or equal to the cross-sectional dimension of the ink cartridge body in the circumferential direction; the ink cartridge body is provided with an end face and a circumferential wall surface. The end face is located at the end of the ink cartridge body along the disassembly and assembly direction. The circumferential wall surface is connected to the end face and is located in the circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body. The liquid level detection part is located on the end face of the ink cartridge body; the connection component is arranged on the end face of the ink cartridge body or on the side of the circumferential wall surface close to the end face.

[0009] In some alternative embodiments, a stylus is provided on the printer, and a chip is provided on the ink cartridge body. The chip is disposed on the circumferential wall surface of the ink cartridge body. When the ink cartridge body is installed on the printer, the stylus is electrically connected to the contact of the chip. Among them, the ink cartridge has a joint surface, and the joint surface is the joint surface formed by the ink cartridge body and the printer through a connection component. The joint surface and the surface of the chip contact are spaced apart in the width direction of the ink cartridge body, and the width direction is perpendicular to the disassembly and assembly direction.

[0010] In some alternative embodiments, the distance between the connection component and the end face along the disassembly and assembly direction is smaller than the distance between the chip and the end face along the disassembly and assembly direction; the distance between the connection component and the liquid level detection portion along the height direction is smaller than the distance between the chip and the liquid level detection portion along the height direction.

[0011] In some alternative embodiments, the connection component includes a hook portion and a hook groove. One of the hook portion and the hook groove is provided on the ink cartridge body, and the other is provided on the installation portion. The hook portion can extend into the hook groove to fix the ink cartridge in the installation portion. And when the ink cartridge is fixed in the installation portion, there is a fitting gap between the ink cartridge and the installation portion, so that the hook portion can be disengaged from the hook groove through the relative movement between the ink cartridge and the installation portion.

[0012] In some alternative embodiments, the hook portion is provided on the ink cartridge body, the hook groove is provided on the installation portion, and the opening of the hook groove faces upward. The hook portion can extend into the hook groove under the action of the gravity of the ink cartridge body.

[0013] In some alternative embodiments, the connection component includes a swing rod, a chute, and a first elastic member. The first elastic member is connected to one of the printer and the ink cartridge body and can be compressed under pressure between the printer and the ink cartridge body. The chute is provided on one of the printer and the ink cartridge body, and the other of the printer and the ink cartridge body is rotatably connected to the swing rod. The swing rod is provided with a protruding sliding portion. Among them, when the ink cartridge body moves relative to the printer, the swing rod can rotate around its own axis of rotation, so that the sliding portion moves relative to the chute along the extension direction of the chute. When the ink cartridge body and the printer are relatively fixed, the sliding portion abuts against the inner wall surface of the chute under the elastic force of the first elastic member.

[0014] In some alternative embodiments, the chute includes an introduction section, a clamping section, and an export section. The clamping section communicates with the introduction section and the export section. When the ink cartridge body extends into the installation portion, the swing rod is disposed opposite to the port of the introduction section, so that the sliding portion can extend into the introduction section and move along the introduction section toward the side of the clamping section. The clamping section is provided with a clamping wall surface, and the clamping wall surface is bent toward the side of the axis of rotation of the swing rod to accommodate the sliding portion. The sliding portion can abut against the clamping wall surface under the elastic force of the first elastic member. Among them, when the chute and the swing rod move toward each other, the sliding portion can slide out of the clamping section along the clamping wall surface and extend out along the export section under the elastic force of the first elastic member, so that the ink cartridge body and the printer are separated from each other.

[0015] In some alternative embodiments, the connecting component further includes a second elastic member, which is connected to the swing rod. The second elastic member and the sliding portion are respectively located at two ends of the swing rod rotation shaft. When the second elastic member is in a natural state, the swing rod extends toward the outlet section.

[0016] In some alternative embodiments, the number of the connecting components is multiple. The multiple connecting components are arranged on the end face and / or the side wall surface of the ink cartridge body, and the multiple connecting components are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body.

[0017] In some alternative embodiments, the printer is provided with a light detection member, which is arranged in the installation part. The ink cartridge is provided with a shielding component. When the ink cartridge body is installed on the printer, the shielding component shields the detection light emitted by the light detection member to indicate that the ink cartridge body is installed in the installation part.

[0018] In some alternative embodiments, the shielding component includes a driving member, a shielding member and a third elastic member. Two ends of the third elastic member are respectively connected to the shielding member and the ink cartridge body. The driving member is provided with a first clamping portion, and the shielding member is provided with a second clamping portion. The first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are respectively arranged on the sides of the driving member and the shielding member facing each other. When the ink cartridge body moves relative to the printer, the driving member abuts against the printer, and drives the shielding member to move relative to the ink cartridge body toward the side away from the printer through the abutment between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion. Among them, the first clamping portion is provided with a guiding inclined surface, and the second clamping portion can move along the guiding inclined surface toward the side away from the driving member. When the ink cartridge body is fixed in the installation part through the connecting component, the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are separated from each other, and the shielding member can extend under the elastic force of the third elastic member to shield the detection light emitted by the light detection member.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the ink cartridge provided by the embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages: The ink cartridge includes an ink cartridge body and a connecting component. The ink cartridge body is used to store ink. When the ink cartridge is connected to the printer, the ink can be conveyed into the printer to complete a printing task.

[0020] The printer is provided with an installation part, and the ink cartridge can be fixed in the installation part through the connecting component. Among them, the ink cartridge body has an end face along the disassembly and assembly direction and a circumferential side wall surface. After the ink cartridge body is installed in the installation part, the end face is located in the installation part, and the side wall surface faces the inner wall surface of the installation part. That is, the other wall surface of the ink cartridge body opposite to the end face is exposed at the opening position of the installation part, and the appearance of the printer is relatively simple.

[0021] A liquid level detection part is provided on the ink cartridge body, and a liquid level detection component is correspondingly arranged on the printer to detect the remaining ink amount through the detection light emitted by the liquid level detection component. The liquid level detection part is arranged on the end face of the ink cartridge body. The connection component is arranged at a position on the outer wall surface of the ink cartridge body close to the liquid level detection part. In this way, the distance between the connection component and the liquid level detection part is relatively small. Even if the ink cartridge body shakes relative to the printer, the whole ink cartridge shakes with the connection component as the fulcrum. Since the distance between the liquid level detection part and the connection component is relatively small, the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection part relative to the connection component is small, and the detection accuracy of the remaining ink amount is high.

[0022] In addition to the technical problems solved by the embodiments of the present invention described above, the technical features constituting the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought by these technical features of the technical solutions, the other technical problems that the ink cartridges provided by the embodiments of the present invention can solve, the other technical features included in the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought by these technical features will be further described in detail in the specific implementation manners. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a printing device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is Figure 1 a schematic structural diagram of the body in

[0026] Figure 3 It is Figure 1 a cross-sectional view when the clamping component in

[0027] Figure 4 It is Figure 3 a schematic structural diagram of part A in

[0028] Figure 5 It is Figure 3 a schematic structural diagram of the ink cartridge body in Figure 1 ;

[0029] Figure 6 It is Figure 5 a schematic structural diagram of part B in

[0030] Figure 7 It is Figure 5 an exploded structural diagram of the ink cartridge body in

[0031] Figure 8 is the structural schematic diagram of part C in Figure 7 ;

[0032] Figure 9 is the structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge body in Figure 3 ; Figure 2 ;

[0033] Figure 10 is the structural schematic diagram of part D in Figure 9 ;

[0034] Figure 11 is the sectional view when the clamping component in Figure 1 includes a swing rod, a sliding part and a sliding groove;

[0035] Figure 12 is the structural schematic diagram of part E in Figure 11 ;

[0036] Figure 13 is the structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge body in Figure 11 ; Figure 1 ;

[0037] Figure 14 is the structural schematic diagram of part F in Figure 13 ;

[0038] Figure 15 is the exploded structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge body of Figure 13 ; Figure 1 ;

[0039] Figure 16 is the exploded structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge body in Figure 13 ; Figure 2 ;

[0040] Figure 17 is the structural schematic diagram of the shielding part and the driving part in Figure 13 ;

[0041] Figure 18 is the structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge body in Figure 11 ; Figure 2 ;

[0042] Figure 19 is the structural schematic diagram of part G in Figure 18 ;

[0043] Figure 20 is the structural schematic diagram when the sliding part of the swing rod is opposite to the leading-in section of the sliding groove in Figure 11 ;

[0044] Figure 21 is the structural schematic diagram when the sliding part of the swing rod is located in the leading-in section in Figure 11 ;

[0045] Figure 22 For Figure 11 Structural schematic diagram when the sliding part of the middle swing rod is clamped with the clamping section;

[0046] Figure 23 For Figure 11 Structural schematic diagram when the sliding part of the middle swing rod is located at the guiding section.

[0047] Reference numerals:

[0048] 10: Printer; 11: Mounting part; 12: Thumb rod structure; 13: Hook groove; 14: Vertical plate;

[0049] 20: Ink cartridge body; 21: Liquid level detection part; 221: End face; 222: Top wall surface; 223: Bottom wall surface; 224: Side wall surface; 225: Outer wall surface; 23: Chip; 231: Contact point; 24: Ink outlet; 25: Air inlet hole; 26: Holding part;

[0050] 30: Connection assembly; 31: Swing rod; 311: Sliding part; 32: Chute; 321: Guiding section; 322: Clamping section; 3221: Clamping wall surface; 323: Export section; 33: Second elastic member; 35: Hook part; 351: Avoidance notch;

[0051] 40: Shielding assembly; 41: Driving part; 411: First clamping part; 42: Shielding member; 421: Second clamping part; 43: Third elastic member; 44: Fourth elastic member;

[0052] X: Disassembly and assembly direction; Y: Width direction; Z: Height direction. Detailed implementation manners

[0053] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0054] The ink cartridge includes an ink cartridge body and a connection assembly, and the ink cartridge body is connected to the mounting part of the printer through the connection assembly. Then, after the ink cartridge body is connected to the printer, the ink cartridge body can swing relative to the body with the connection assembly as the fulcrum, and the larger the distance between the ink cartridge body and the connection assembly, the greater the swing amplitude of the ink cartridge body.

[0055] In the prior art, to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the ink cartridge, the connection component is usually arranged at a position on the ink cartridge body close to the opening of the installation part for the convenience of user operation. And the liquid level detection part is usually arranged at the end face position of the ink cartridge body. In this way, the distance between the liquid level detection part and the connection component is relatively large, and the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection part is relatively large, resulting in a relatively low detection accuracy of the liquid level detection part.

[0056] In view of this, in the embodiment of the present application, the connection component is arranged at a position on the ink cartridge body close to the liquid level detection part to reduce the distance between the connection component and the liquid level detection part. In this way, the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection part relative to the connection component is smaller, improving the detection accuracy of the ink remaining amount.

[0057] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the printing device provided by the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 For Figure 1 the schematic structural diagram of the middle body. Figure 3 For Figure 1 the cross-sectional view when the clamping component in the middle includes a hook part and a hook groove 13. Figure 4 For Figure 3 the schematic structural diagram of part A in the middle. Figure 5 For Figure 3 the schematic structure of the ink cartridge body in the middle Figure 1 . Figure 6 For Figure 5 the schematic structural diagram of part B in the middle. Figure 7 For Figure 5 the exploded structural diagram of the ink cartridge body in the middle. Figure 8 For Figure 7 the schematic structural diagram of part C in the middle. Figure 9 For Figure 3 the schematic structure of the ink cartridge body in the middle Figure 2 . Figure 10 For Figure 9 the schematic structural diagram of part D in the middle.

[0058] Please refer to Figures 1 to 10 , the embodiment of the present invention provides an ink cartridge applied to a printer 10. The ink cartridge includes an ink cartridge body 20 and a connection component. The connection component is used to detachably connect the ink cartridge body 20 to the printer 10. The ink cartridge body 20 is used to store ink, and a liquid level detection part 21 for detecting the remaining amount of ink is arranged on the ink cartridge body 20; the printer 10 is provided with an installation part 11, and the ink cartridge body 20 can extend into or out of the installation part 11 along the disassembly and assembly direction X; both the connection component and the liquid level detection part 21 are located at the same end of the ink cartridge body 20 along the maximum size direction.

[0059] Specifically, the printer 10 is used to eject ink onto paper to form preset characters, images, etc. A cartridge for storing ink is provided on the printer 10. A ink supply component (not shown) is provided on the printer 10 to introduce the ink in the cartridge to the print nozzle (not shown) of the printer 10. The printer 10 and the ink supply component can be of types well-known to those skilled in the art, and are not limited in this embodiment.

[0060] The cartridge includes a cartridge body 20 and a connection component 30. An installation part 11 is provided on the printer 10. The cartridge is fixedly connected to the installation part 11 through the connection component 30. The installation part 11 can be a groove-shaped structure, and the cartridge body 20 extends into and is accommodated in the installation part 11. In this way, only the outer wall surface 225 of the cartridge body 20 is exposed at the opening of the installation groove, and the connection component 30 between the cartridge body 20 and the installation part 11 is hidden in the installation part 11, and the appearance of the printer 10 is relatively simple.

[0061] The printer 10 can be provided with a plurality of installation parts 11 arranged in parallel, and each installation part 11 can be correspondingly provided with a cartridge, so that the printer 10 can install a plurality of cartridges at the same time.

[0062] According to different requirements, the cartridge body 20 can have different shapes, and when the cartridge body 20 is of different shapes, the direction of the maximum dimension of the cartridge body 20 is also different. For example, the cartridge body 20 is cylindrical. When the axial dimension of the cylindrical cartridge body 20 is greater than the radial dimension of the cylindrical cartridge body, the direction of the maximum dimension of the cartridge body 20 is the axial direction of the cartridge body 20.

[0063] Optionally, in this embodiment, the cartridge body 20 can be an approximate cube structure, and the cartridge body 20 has six wall surfaces. For the convenience of description, the cartridge body 20 has a disassembly and assembly direction X, a width direction Y, and a height direction Z. The disassembly and assembly direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z are perpendicular to each other, and the disassembly and assembly direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z are respectively parallel to three adjacent sides of the cartridge body 20. According to the different dimensions of the cartridge body 20 in each direction, the direction of the maximum dimension of the cartridge body 20 can be any one of the disassembly and assembly direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z.

[0064] When the cartridge body 20 moves along the disassembly and assembly direction X towards the side close to the printer 10, the cartridge body 20 can be installed on the printer 10; when the cartridge body 20 moves along the disassembly and assembly direction X towards the side away from the printer 10, the cartridge body 20 can be removed from the printer 10.

[0065] Then, the wall surface at the front end of the ink cartridge body 20 in the disassembly and assembly direction X is the end face 221, and the other wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20 opposite to the end face 221 is the outer wall surface 225. When the ink cartridge body 20 is installed on the printer 10, the end face 221 is located within the installation portion 11, and the outer wall surface 225 is exposed at the opening position of the installation portion 11. The other four wall surfaces of the ink cartridge body 20 form circumferential wall surfaces and are arranged along the circumference of the ink cartridge body 20. The circumferential wall surfaces are located between the end face 221 and the outer wall surface 225, and the circumferential wall surfaces include a top wall surface 222, a bottom wall surface 223 along the height direction Z, and two side wall surfaces 224 along the width direction Y.

[0066] The ink cartridge body 20 has a container-like structure, and the interior of the ink cartridge body 20 is hollow to accommodate ink. A plurality of reinforcing ribs are also provided in the inner cavity of the ink cartridge body 20 to improve the strength of the ink cartridge body 20. The ink cartridge body 20 has an ink outlet 24 connected to the ink supply assembly, and the ink in the ink cartridge body 20 is led out to the ink supply assembly through the ink outlet 24. The ink cartridge body 20 also has an air inlet hole 25, and the air inlet hole 25 can communicate the inner cavity of the ink cartridge body 20 with the atmosphere. In this way, when the ink decreases, air can be correspondingly supplemented to maintain the air pressure inside the ink cartridge body 20. The ink cartridge body 20 also includes a liquid level detection portion 21 for detecting the ink remaining amount.

[0067] The liquid level detection portion 21 protrudes from the ink cartridge body 20, and the cavity surrounded by the liquid level detection portion 21 communicates with the inner cavity of the ink cartridge body 20 so that ink can enter the liquid level detection portion 21. The material of the liquid level detection portion 21 is a light-transmissive resin structural member. A light sensor is correspondingly provided on the printer 10. The light sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter and the receiver are respectively arranged on both sides of the liquid level detection portion 21. The transmitter is used for emitting detection light, and the receiver is used for receiving the detection light transmitted through the liquid level detection portion 21. Among them, both the liquid level detection portion 21 and the ink can attenuate the detection light. By the amount of light of the detection light received by the receiver, it can be judged whether there is ink in the ink cartridge body 20 and the amount of the remaining ink. Of course, a detection swing arm well-known to those skilled in the art can also be provided in the ink cartridge body 20. The detection swing arm can rotate relative to the ink cartridge body 20, and the detection swing arm can extend into the liquid level detection portion 21 for attenuating light, deflecting light, etc. This embodiment does not limit it.

[0068] The liquid level detection portion 21 can be provided on any wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20. Optionally, in this embodiment, the liquid level detection portion 21 is provided on the end face 221 of the ink cartridge body 20.

[0069] The connecting component 30 connects and fixes the ink cartridge body 20 to the printer 10, and both the connecting component 30 and the liquid level detection unit 21 are located at the same end of the ink cartridge body 20 along the direction of the maximum dimension. In this way, the distance between the connecting component 30 and the liquid level detection unit 21 is small. After the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed on the printer 10, even if the ink cartridge body 20 shakes relative to the printer 10, the ink cartridge body 20 shakes relative to the printer 10 with the connecting component 30 as the fulcrum. And because the distance between the liquid level detection unit 21 and the connecting component 30 is small, the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection unit 21 relative to its preset position, that is, the offset amount, is small, improving the detection accuracy of the ink remaining amount.

[0070] According to the different directions of the maximum dimension of the ink cartridge body 20, the connecting component 30 can be arranged on different wall surfaces of the ink cartridge body 20. Exemplarily, when the maximum dimension direction of the ink cartridge body 20 is the height direction Z and the minimum dimension direction is the disassembly and assembly direction X, the liquid level detection unit 21 is arranged on the end face 221, and the connecting component 30 can be arranged on the end face 221 or at a position on the outer wall surface 225 corresponding to the liquid level detection unit 21.

[0071] In some alternative embodiments, the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 along the disassembly and assembly direction X is greater than or equal to the cross-sectional dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 in the circumferential direction. That is, the maximum dimension direction of the ink cartridge body 20 is the disassembly and assembly direction X or the height direction Z. Exemplarily, the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 along the disassembly and assembly direction X can be approximately equivalent to the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 along the height direction Z, and the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 along the disassembly and assembly direction X is greater than the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 along the width direction Y.

[0072] This embodiment is described by taking the maximum dimension direction of the ink cartridge body 20 as the disassembly and assembly direction X as an example. At this time, the ink cartridge body 20 is provided with an end face 221 and a circumferential wall surface. The end face 221 is located at the end of the ink cartridge body 20 along the disassembly and assembly direction X. The circumferential wall surface is connected to the end face 221 and is located in the circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body 20. The liquid level detection unit 21 is located on the end face 221 of the ink cartridge body 20; the connecting component 30 can be arranged on the end face 221 of the ink cartridge body 20 or on the side of the circumferential wall surface close to the end face 221.

[0073] When the connecting component 30 is arranged on the end face 221 of the ink cartridge body 20, please refer to Figure 5 , the connecting component 30 can be arranged side by side with the liquid level detection unit 21 along the width direction Y. Of course, at this time, the connecting component 30 can also be arranged at different positions of the liquid level detection unit 21 along the height direction Z.

[0074] When the connecting component 30 is arranged on the circumferential wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20, the connecting component 30 can be arranged on the top wall surface 222, the bottom wall surface 223 (such as Figure 9 andFigure 10 on either the circumferential wall surface 223 (as shown) or the side wall surface 224, and the connecting component 30 is located on the side of the circumferential wall surface close to the end surface 221, so as to reduce the distance between the connecting component 30 and the liquid level detection part 21.

[0075] In some alternative embodiments, Figure 5 and Figure 6 as well as Figure 13 and Figure 14 The printer 10 is provided with a stylus, and the ink cartridge body 20 is provided with a chip 23. The chip 23 is arranged on the circumferential wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20. When the ink cartridge body 20 is installed on the printer 10, the stylus is electrically connected to the contact 231 of the chip 23 to realize communication between the ink cartridge body 20 and the printer 10.

[0076] It can be understood that the stylus is an elastic member. When the stylus is electrically connected to the chip 23, the stylus undergoes elastic deformation and presses against the contact 231 of the chip 23, and the ink cartridge body 20 abuts against the other side of the installation part 11 opposite to the stylus.

[0077] The chip 23 can be fixed at any position on the circumferential wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20. Optionally, in this embodiment, the chip 23 is arranged on the top wall surface 222 as an example for illustration. Among them, a chip fixing seat is provided on the top wall surface 222, the chip 23 is arranged on the chip fixing seat, and the chip 23 is arranged perpendicular to the height direction Z, or as Figure 5 and Figure 13 shown, the chip is arranged obliquely with respect to the top wall surface 222. The structure of the stylus, the chip 23 and the chip fixing seat is not limited in this embodiment.

[0078] Among them, please refer to Figure 13 , the chip 23 has contacts 231 electrically connected to the stylus. The number of contacts 231 is three, and the three contacts 231 are arranged in parallel along the width direction Y of the ink cartridge.

[0079] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 as well as Figure 13 and Figure 14 , in some alternative embodiments, the ink cartridge has a joint surface, and the joint surface is the joint surface formed by the ink cartridge body 20 and the printer through the connecting component 30. The joint surface is spaced from the surface of the contact 231 in the width direction Y of the ink cartridge body 20, and the width direction Y is perpendicular to the disassembly and assembly direction X.

[0080] In this way, on the projection plane perpendicular to the height direction, the projection of the chip contact 231 on the projection plane and the projection of the joint surface on the projection plane are spaced along the width direction Y.

[0081] For example, the three contacts 231 of the chip 23 are arranged at intervals along the width direction Y, the chip 23 has a first plane, the first plane is arranged perpendicular to the width direction Y, and the edge of the chip 23 close to the contacts 231 of the connecting component 30 is located on the first plane. The connecting component 30 has a second plane, and the edge of the bonding surface close to the chip 23 is also located on the second plane. When the bonding surface and the surface of the chip contacts 231 are arranged at intervals along the width direction Y of the ink cartridge body 20, the first plane and the second plane have a spacing along the width direction Y.

[0082] When the connection component 30 is disposed on the side wall surface 224, since the chip 23 does not protrude from the side wall surface 224, the chip 23 can be disposed on the top wall surface 222, the bottom wall surface 223, or the other side wall surface 224 opposite to the connection component 30. When the connection component is disposed on the top wall surface 222, the chip 23 can be disposed on the side wall surface 224, or the chip 23 can also be disposed on the top wall surface 222 or the bottom wall surface 223, as long as the bonding surface formed by the contact 231 and the connection component 23 is staggered along the width direction Y.

[0083] In this way, in the width direction Y, there are multiple fixed positions between the ink cartridge and the mounting portion 11 , and the ink cartridge body 20 can be fixed in the mounting portion 11 more stably.

[0084] When the bonding surface and the contact 231 are spaced apart in the width direction Y, the distance between the connecting component 30 and the end face 221 along the disassembly direction X is smaller than the distance between the chip 23 and the end face 221 along the disassembly direction X; the distance between the connecting component 30 and the liquid level detection part 21 along the height direction Z is smaller than the distance between the chip 23 and the liquid level detection part 21 along the height direction Z.

[0085] Exemplarily, when the connection component is disposed on the end surface 221 and the chip 23 is disposed on the top wall surface 222, the spacing between the connection component and the end surface 221 along the disassembly direction X is zero, and the spacing between the chip 23 and the end surface 221 along the disassembly direction X is greater than zero. At the same time, the connection component is located below the chip 23 along the height direction Z, and the spacing between the connection component and the liquid level detection portion 21 along the height direction Z is smaller than the spacing between the chip 23 and the liquid level detection portion 21 along the height direction Z.

[0086] In this way, along the disassembly and assembly direction X and the height direction Z, the distance between the connection component and the liquid level detection unit 21 is smaller than the distance between the connection component and the chip 23, that is, along the disassembly and assembly direction X and the height direction Z, the connection component is arranged between the liquid level detection unit 21 and the chip 23. In this way, there is a relatively small distance between the connection component and the liquid level detection unit 21 and between the connection component and the chip 23, which can not only reduce the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection unit 21 and improve the detection accuracy of the ink remaining amount, but also avoid the problem that when the cartridge body 20 shakes relative to the printer 10 due to the too large distance between the connection component 30 and the chip 23, the shaking amplitude between the chip 23 and the contact pin is too large, resulting in poor electrical connection between the chip 23 and the contact pin.

[0087] In some alternative embodiments, the number of connection components 30 is multiple, and the multiple connection components 30 are arranged on the end face 221 and / or the side wall surface 224 of the cartridge body 20, and the multiple connection components 30 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the cartridge body 20.

[0088] Among them, the multiple connection components 30 can be arranged on the circumferential wall surface at the same time, or arranged on the end face 221 at the same time, and arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the cartridge body 20. Or the multiple connection components 30 can be arranged on the circumferential wall surface and the end face 221 at the same time to improve the fixing stability of the cartridge body 20 and avoid the shaking of the cartridge body 20 relative to the printer 10.

[0089] Exemplarily, the number of connection components 30 is two, and the two connection components 30 are both arranged on the end face 221 and symmetrically arranged on both sides of the liquid level detection unit 21 along the width direction Y; the two connection components 30 can also be respectively arranged on the top wall surface 222 and the bottom wall surface 223 of the cartridge body 20 or respectively arranged on the end face 221 and the bottom wall surface 223. The number and arrangement position of the connection components 30 are not limited in this embodiment.

[0090] It can be understood that the cartridge body 20 is fixed in the installation part 11, and the connection component 30 is correspondingly hidden in the installation part 11, and the connection component 30 is not exposed at the opening position of the installation part 11.

[0091] For the convenience of disassembling and assembling the cartridge body 20, please refer to Figures 2 to 10 In some alternative embodiments, the connection component includes a hook part 35 and a hook groove 13. One of the hook part 35 and the hook groove 13 is arranged on the cartridge body 20, and the other is arranged on the installation part 11. The hook part 35 can extend into the hook groove 13 to clamp the cartridge in the installation part 11; and when the cartridge is clamped in the installation part 11, there is a fitting gap between the cartridge and the installation part 11, so that the hook part 35 can be disengaged from the hook groove 13 through the relative movement between the cartridge and the installation part 11.

[0092] Specifically, the hook portion 35 can be formed on the mounting portion 11 of the printer 10, and the hook groove 13 is formed on the ink cartridge body 20. Optionally, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , in this embodiment, the hook groove 13 is formed on the mounting portion 11, and the hook portion 35 is formed on the ink cartridge body 20 as an example for illustration. For example, a vertical plate 14 is provided on the mounting portion 11, and the cavity on the side of the vertical plate 14 away from the ink cartridge body 20 can form the hook groove 13. The hook portion 35 is hooked to the side of the vertical plate 14 facing away from the ink cartridge body 20, and the ink cartridge can be fixed in the mounting portion 11.

[0093] Among them, the hook portion 35 can be an elastic member. In this way, through the elastic deformation of the hook portion 35, the hook portion 35 can be inserted into or withdrawn from the hook groove 13.

[0094] It can be understood that there is a fitting gap between the ink cartridge and the mounting portion 11 to facilitate pushing and pulling the ink cartridge. To avoid breakage of the hook portion 35, this embodiment can utilize this fitting gap. Exemplarily, the user holds the ink cartridge body 20, causing the ink cartridge to move relative to the mounting portion 11 or causing the ink cartridge to rotate with a certain point of itself as a support. The hook portion 35 moves with the ink cartridge body 20 relative to the mounting portion 11 to be inserted into or withdrawn from the hook groove 13, improving the service life of the hook portion 35.

[0095] The hook portion 35 can be integrally formed with the ink cartridge body 20. To improve the service life of the ink cartridge, the hook portion 35 can also be detachably connected to the ink cartridge body 20. For example, the hook portion 35 can be firmly connected to the ink cartridge body 20 through a threaded fastener.

[0096] At this time, the joint surface formed by the connecting component 30 is the contact surface between the vertical plate 14 and the hook portion 35. When the extension length of the hook portion 35 in the width direction Y is relatively large, the contact surface between the vertical plate 14 and the hook portion 35 has a relatively large dimension in the width direction Y.

[0097] To prevent the contact surface between the vertical plate 14 and the hook portion 35 from intersecting with the surface of the contact pad 231 in the width direction Y, please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 , an avoidance notch 351 can be provided on the hook portion 35, and the avoidance notch 351 is provided on the side of the hook portion 35 close to the chip 23. In this way, the dimension of the hook portion 35 in the width direction Y is reduced, and the edge of the contact surface close to the chip 23 is offset toward the side away from the chip 23, so that there is a spacing in the width direction Y between the contact pad 231 and the contact surface.

[0098] In some alternative embodiments, the engaging hook portion 35 is provided on the ink cartridge body 20, the engaging hook groove 13 is provided on the mounting portion 11, and the opening of the engaging hook groove 13 faces upward. The engaging hook portion 35 can extend into the engaging hook groove 13 under the action of the gravity of the ink cartridge body 20.

[0099] In this way, when the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the mounting portion 11, the ink cartridge body 20 can be lapped on the bottom wall surface 223 of the mounting groove under the action of its own gravity. At this time, the engaging hook portion 35 moves downward along the height direction Z with the ink cartridge body 20 and extends into the engaging hook groove 13 to realize the clamping and fixing between the ink cartridge and the mounting portion 11. When the ink cartridge needs to be disassembled, the user can simply lift the ink cartridge body 20 upward along the height direction Z. The structure is simple and the operation is convenient.

[0100] Figure 11 For Figure 1 The sectional view when the clamping component in [the figure] includes a swing rod, a sliding portion and a sliding groove. Figure 12 For Figure 11 The structural schematic diagram of part E in [the figure]. Figure 13 For Figure 11 The structural schematic of the ink cartridge body in [the figure] Figure 1 . Figure 14 For Figure 13 The structural schematic diagram of part F in [the figure]. Figure 15 For Figure 13 The exploded structural schematic of the ink cartridge body of Figure 1 . Figure 16 For Figure 13 The exploded structural schematic of the ink cartridge body in [the figure] Figure 2 . Figure 17 For Figure 13 The structural schematic diagram of the shielding member and the driving member in [the figure]. Figure 18 For Figure 11 The structural schematic of the ink cartridge body in [the figure] Figure 2 . Figure 19 For Figure 18 The structural schematic diagram of part G in [the figure].

[0101] Please refer to Figures 11 to 19, for facilitating the disassembly and assembly of the ink cartridge body 20, in some alternative embodiments, the connecting component 30 may further include a swing rod 31, a sliding groove 32, and a first elastic member (not shown). The first elastic member is connected to one of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20 and can be compressed under pressure between the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20; the sliding groove 32 is provided on one of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20, and the other of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20 is rotatably connected to the swing rod 31, and a protruding sliding portion 311 is provided on the swing rod 31; wherein, when the ink cartridge body 20 moves relative to the printer 10, the swing rod 31 can rotate around its own rotation axis so that the sliding portion 311 moves relative to the sliding groove 32 along the extension direction of the sliding groove 32; when the ink cartridge body 20 and the printer 10 are relatively fixed, the sliding portion 311 abuts against the inner wall surface of the sliding groove 32 under the elastic force of the first elastic member.

[0102] Specifically, the swing rod 31 may be provided on the ink cartridge body 20, and the sliding groove 32 is provided on the printer 10. This embodiment will be described by taking the swing rod 31 provided on the printer 10 and the sliding groove 32 provided on the ink cartridge body 20 as an example.

[0103] Wherein, the swing rod 31 is rotatably connected to the printer 10 through its own rotation axis. The rotation axis of the swing rod 31 may be arranged parallel to the width direction Y, or parallel to the height direction Z, or arranged at an angle to the width direction Y. This embodiment does not limit this. Optionally, in this embodiment, the rotation axis of the swing rod 31 may be arranged along the height direction Z.

[0104] The first elastic member may be an elastic component such as a spring or an elastic rubber member. One end of the first elastic member can be connected to one of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20, and the other end of the first elastic member is a free end for abutting against the other of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20. Optionally, in this embodiment, the first elastic member is connected to the installation portion 11 to avoid protruding components on the wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20, so as to simplify the appearance of the ink cartridge body 20.

[0105] When the swing rod 31 rotates relative to the printer 10, the sliding portion 311 rotates around the rotation axis of the swing rod 31 and simultaneously slides in the sliding groove 32, and when the sliding portion 311 is at different positions in the sliding groove 32, the ink cartridge body 20 has different connection states relative to the printer 10.

[0106] Specifically, when installing the ink cartridge body 20, the user pushes the ink cartridge body 20 along the disassembly and assembly direction X. During the process of the ink cartridge body 20 extending into the installation portion 11, the sliding portion 311 extends into the sliding groove 32 through the entrance of the sliding groove 32. As the ink cartridge body 20 continues to extend into the installation portion 11, the first elastic member is compressed under pressure, and the sliding portion 311 moves relative to the sliding groove 32 along the extension direction of the sliding groove 32.

[0107] When the ink cartridge body 20 moves to a preset position, the user disengages from the ink cartridge body 20. The ink cartridge body 20 moves along the disassembly and assembly direction X toward the side extending out of the installation portion 11 under the elastic force of the first elastic member until the sliding portion 311 abuts against the inner wall surface of the chute 32, and the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed within the installation portion 11.

[0108] When the ink cartridge body 20 needs to be disassembled, the swing rod 31 can continue to rotate to resist the elastic force of the first elastic member. The ink cartridge body 20 moves along the disassembly and assembly direction X toward the side extending out of the installation portion 11 under the elastic force of the first elastic member until the sliding portion 311 slides out of the chute 32. At this time, the ink cartridge body 20 is separated from the printer 10.

[0109] That is, when the user presses the ink cartridge, the disassembly and assembly of the ink cartridge body 20 relative to the printer 10 is realized through the mutual cooperation between the swing rod 31 and the chute 32, with a simple structure and convenient operation.

[0110] Among them, the chute 32 can be in the shape of a blind hole structure. The sliding portion 311 is clamped with the end of the chute 32 and extends into or out of the chute 32 from the port of the blind hole-shaped chute 32.

[0111] At this time, the joint surface formed by the connection assembly 30 is the abutting surface between the swing rod 31 and the chute 32. Among them, the sliding portion 311 can have different shapes, such as spherical, cylindrical, etc. When the sliding portion 311 has different shapes, the projection of the abutting surface on the projection plane can be a projection surface or a projection line.

[0112] By arranging the surface of the contact point 231 and the abutting surface between the swing rod 31 and the chute 32 at intervals in the width direction Y, the ink cartridge body 20 can be relatively firmly fixed within the installation portion 11.

[0113] Figure 20 For Figure 11 the schematic structural diagram when the sliding portion of the swing rod is opposite to the leading section of the chute. Figure 21 For Figure 11 the schematic structural diagram when the sliding portion of the swing rod is located in the leading section. Figure 22 For Figure 11 the schematic structural diagram when the sliding portion of the swing rod is clamped with the clamping section. Figure 23 For Figure 11 the schematic structural diagram when the sliding portion of the swing rod is located in the leading-out section.

[0114] Please refer to Figures 11 to 23, Optionally, the chute 32 in this embodiment may include an introduction section 321, a clamping section 322, and an export section 323. The clamping section 322 communicates with the introduction section 321 and the export section 323. When the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the installation part 11, the swing rod 31 is disposed opposite to the port of the introduction section 321, so that the sliding part 311 can extend into the introduction section 321 and move along the introduction section 321 toward the clamping section 322. The clamping section 322 is provided with a clamping wall surface 3221, and the clamping wall surface 3221 is bent toward the side of the swing rod 31 where the rotating shaft is located to accommodate the sliding part 311. The sliding part 311 can abut against the clamping wall surface 3221 under the elastic force of the first elastic member. When the chute 32 and the swing rod 31 move toward each other, the sliding part 311 can slide out of the clamping section 322 along the clamping wall surface 3221 and extend out along the export section 323 under the elastic force of the first elastic member, so that the ink cartridge body 20 is separated from the printer 10.

[0115] Specifically, the introduction section 321 is used to guide the sliding part 311 into the chute 32 during the installation of the ink cartridge body 20 in the printer 10. That is, during the relative movement of the ink cartridge body 20 with respect to the printer 10, the port of the introduction section 321 is always disposed opposite to the sliding part 311 of the swing rod 31. At the same time, to facilitate the sliding part 311 to disengage from the export section 323, the port of the export section 323 is also disposed opposite to the swing rod 31. In this way, the chute 32 has a structure similar to a U shape.

[0116] To effectively clamp the swing rod 31 and prevent the sliding part 311 from moving relative to the chute 32 due to the shaking of the printer, a clamping wall surface 3221 is provided in the clamping section 322 of this embodiment. The clamping wall surface 3221 is recessed toward the side of the swing rod 31 where the rotating shaft is located to form an accommodating area for accommodating the sliding part 311. After the sliding part 311 moves to the position of the clamping wall surface 3221, the sliding part 311 can abut against the clamping wall surface 3221, that is, the sliding part 311 is limited by the clamping wall surface 3221 to fix the ink cartridge body 20 on the printer 10.

[0117] It can be understood that the clamping wall surface 3221 has three parts, namely two first parts along the circumferential direction of the swing rod 31 rotating shaft and a second part located between the two parts. The second part connects the two first parts and encloses the above-mentioned accommodating area.

[0118] At this time, along the circumferential direction of the swing rod 31 rotating shaft, the sliding part 311 abuts against the first part of the clamping wall surface 3221; along the disassembly and assembly direction X, under the elastic force of the first elastic member, the sliding part 311 is clamped with the second part of the clamping wall surface 3221. In this way, under the combined action of the first elastic member and the second elastic member 33, the sliding part 311 of the swing rod 31 can move relative to the clamping wall surface 3221 adaptively and effectively abut against the clamping wall surface 3221, and the fixing stability of the ink cartridge body 20 is relatively high.

[0119] Then, when the ink cartridge body 20 needs to be disassembled, the sliding portion 311 needs to be taken out from the accommodating area, that is, the chute 32 and the swing rod 31 are moved toward the side close to each other, that is to say, the user can press the ink cartridge body 20 inward along the disassembly and assembly direction X toward the installation portion 11. In this way, the swing rod 31 continues to rotate, and the sliding portion 311 can be slid out of the accommodating area and continue to slide along the guiding section 323. At the same time, under the elastic force of the first elastic member, the ink cartridge body 20 pops out toward the side extending out of the installation portion 11, that is, the ink cartridge body 20 is separated from the printer 10.

[0120] Among them, a motor or the like can be provided on the printer to drive the swing rod 31 to rotate around its own rotation axis. To simplify the driving structure of the swing rod 31, in some alternative embodiments, the connecting assembly 30 further includes a second elastic member 33. The second elastic member 33 is connected to the swing rod 31, and the second elastic member 33 and the sliding portion 311 are respectively located at both ends of the rotation axis of the swing rod 31; and when the second elastic member 33 is in a natural state, the swing rod 31 extends toward the guiding section 323. The second elastic member 33 can be an elastic component such as a spring or an elastic metal sheet, with a simple structure and convenient disassembly and assembly of the ink cartridge body 20.

[0121] Among them, the second elastic member 33 can be wound around the rotation axis of the swing rod 31 to drive the swing rod 31 to rotate. Optionally, in this embodiment, the second elastic member 33 is connected to the swing rod 31, and one end of the second elastic member 33 is connected to the swing rod 31, and the other end of the second elastic member 33 is connected to the printer 10; when the second elastic member 33 is in a natural state, the swing rod 31 extends toward the guiding section 323.

[0122] At this time, please refer to Figure 20 , the opening size of the guiding section 321 is larger to at least cover a part of the guiding section 323 in the installation direction, so that when the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the installation portion 11, the sliding portion 311 can extend into the guiding section 321.

[0123] In this way, please refer to Figure 21 , during the process that the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the installation portion 11, the sliding portion 311 extends into the guiding section 321, and the swing rod 31 rotates clockwise around its own rotation axis, while driving the second elastic member 33 to be stretched and deformed. In this way, the second elastic member 33 has a tendency to contract, and the swing rod 31 has a tendency to rotate counterclockwise. As the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the installation portion 11, the sliding portion 311 moves along the extending direction of the guiding section 321 on the one hand, and on the other hand, it also abuts against the inner wall surface of the guiding section 321 under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 until the sliding portion 311 falls into the accommodating area surrounded by the clamping wall surface 3221 under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 (please refer to Figure 22)。That is to say, the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 can help drive the sliding portion 311 into the latching section 322. At this time, under the action of the elastic force of the first elastic member, there is a tendency for the sliding groove 32 and the swing rod 31 to separate from each other, and the sliding portion 311 abuts against the latching wall surface 3221 to realize the fixed connection between the ink cartridge body 20 and the printer 10.

[0124] Please refer to Figure 23 , when it is necessary to disassemble or replace the ink cartridge body 20, the user can press the ink cartridge body 20 along the disassembly and assembly direction X. At this time, the swing rod 31 and the sliding groove 32 approach each other. Since the swing rod 31 extends toward the lead-out section 323 when the second elastic member 33 is in the natural state, the sliding portion 311 can continue to rotate counterclockwise under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 and move out of the latching section 322 along the latching wall surface 3221. At this time, the ink cartridge body 20 gradually moves out of the installation portion 11 under the elastic force of the first elastic member. At the same time, the sliding portion 311 continues to rotate counterclockwise under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 until the sliding portion 311 moves into the lead-out section 323, and the second elastic member 33 returns to the natural state. That is, through the second elastic member 33, it is possible to prevent the sliding portion 311 from moving toward the lead-in section 321 when moving out of the latching section 322.

[0125] Then, the ink cartridge body 20 can continue to move out of the installation portion 11 under the elastic force of the first elastic member or under the operation of the user. The sliding portion 311 continues to rotate counterclockwise and can continue to move along the lead-out section 323 until the sliding portion 311 moves out of the lead-out section 323, and the ink cartridge body 20 is detached from the printer 10. At this time, the second elastic member 33 is stretched and deformed, and the second elastic member 33 has a tendency to rotate clockwise.

[0126] After the ink cartridge body 20 is detached from the printer 10, the swing rod 31 can rotate clockwise under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 until the second elastic member 33 returns to the natural state. At this time, the installation portion 11 of the printer 10 is vacant.

[0127] That is, through the second elastic member 33, the disassembly and assembly of the ink cartridge body 20 can be conveniently realized, the structure is simple, and the manufacturing cost is relatively low.

[0128] To facilitate the user to hold the ink cartridge body 20, a holding member 26 is provided on the ink cartridge body 20, and the holding member 26 is arranged on the outer wall surface 225 or on one side of the circumferential wall surface close to the outer wall surface 225. Exemplarily, the holding member 26 can be arranged on the top wall surface 222.

[0129] It can be understood that the top of the ink cartridge body 20 is provided with a top plate, and the wall surface of the top plate constitutes the top wall surface 222, and the holding member 26 can be fixedly connected to the top plate.

[0130] Optionally, a locking member may also be provided at the position of the printer 10 opposite to the holding member 26. Correspondingly, the holding member 26 is movably connected to the ink cartridge body 20.

[0131] Specifically, the locking member is rotatably connected to the mounting portion 11, and a fifth elastic member is provided on the mounting portion 11. The fifth elastic member can extend the locking member toward the ink cartridge body 20. In this way, during the process of the ink cartridge body 20 extending into the mounting portion 11, the locking member can abut against the top wall surface 222 of the ink cartridge body 20 and slide relative to the ink cartridge body 20.

[0132] Correspondingly, an abutting groove capable of abutting against the locking member is provided on the top wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20. After the ink cartridge body 20 moves into place, the locking member falls into the abutting groove and abuts against the inner wall surface of the abutting groove, preventing the ink cartridge body 20 from moving out of the mounting portion 11.

[0133] At this time, the holding member 26 is rotatably connected to the top plate. Press the holding member 26 downward along the height direction Z. The other end of the holding member 26 is lifted upward and lifts the locking member to rotate. At this time, the locking member can disengage from the abutting groove, and the ink cartridge body 20 can be taken out of the mounting portion 11.

[0134] Optionally, the top plate can be provided in a stepped shape. Part of the top plate is used for rotatably connecting with the holding member 26, and the other part of the top plate can protrude toward the side away from the ink cartridge body 20. In this way, the holding member 26 is substantially flush with the protruding part of the top plate, and the appearance of the ink cartridge is relatively flat.

[0135] In some alternative embodiments, the printer 10 is provided with a light detection member, and the light detection member is arranged in the mounting portion 11; a shielding assembly is provided on the ink cartridge. When the ink cartridge body 20 is installed on the printer 10, the shielding assembly 40 shields the detection light emitted by the light detection member to indicate that the ink cartridge body 20 is installed in the mounting portion 11.

[0136] The light detection member may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is used for emitting detection light, and the receiver can receive the detection light. The shielding assembly 40 may be a protruding structure formed on the wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20. And after the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed in the mounting portion 11, the shielding assembly 40 is arranged between the transmitter and the receiver. The shielding assembly 40 can attenuate or shield the detection light. In this way, the amount of light of the detection light received by the receiver can be used to determine whether the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed in the mounting portion 11.

[0137] In this way, when the ink cartridge body 20 is installed on the printer 10, the shielding component 40 is arranged between the emitting member and the receiving member. The amount of light detected by the receiving member is small or zero, and it can be determined that the ink cartridge body 20 has been fixed in the installation portion 11. When the amount of light detected by the receiving member is the same as the amount of the detected light emitted from the emitting member, it can be determined that the ink cartridge body 20 has not been fixed in the installation portion 11 or the installation portion 11 of the printer 10 is in a vacant state.

[0138] Optionally, to prevent foreign objects from being arranged between the emitting member and the receiving member, which may cause the optical detection member to misjudge that the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed in the installation portion 11. In some alternative embodiments, the shielding component 40 includes a driving member 41, a shielding member 42, and a third elastic member 43. Two ends of the third elastic member 43 are respectively connected to the shielding member 42 and the ink cartridge body 20. The driving member 41 is provided with a first clamping portion 411, and the shielding member 42 is provided with a second clamping portion 421. The first clamping portion 411 and the second clamping portion 421 are respectively arranged on one side of the driving member 41 and the shielding member 42 facing each other. When the ink cartridge body 20 moves relative to the printer 10, the driving member 41 abuts against the printer 10, and drives the shielding member 42 to move relative to the ink cartridge body 20 toward the side away from the printer 10 through the abutment between the first clamping portion 411 and the second clamping portion 421. Wherein, the first clamping portion 411 is provided with a guiding inclined surface, and the second clamping portion 421 can move toward the side away from the driving member 41 along the guiding inclined surface. When the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed in the installation portion 11 through the connecting component, the first clamping portion 411 and the second clamping portion 421 are separated from each other, and the shielding member 42 can extend out under the elastic force of the third elastic member 43 and shield the detected light emitted by the optical detection member.

[0139] That is, both the driving member 41 and the shielding member 42 are movably connected to the ink cartridge body 20. Among them, the shielding member 42 is connected to the ink cartridge body 20 through the third elastic member 43, and the driving member 41 can be connected to the ink cartridge body 20 through a fourth elastic member 44, so that after the ink cartridge body 20 is disassembled, the driving member 41 can return to its initial position relative to the ink cartridge body 20 through the fourth elastic member 44. The shielding member 42 can move relative to the ink cartridge body 20 through the deformation of the third elastic member 43, and the driving member 41 can move relative to the ink cartridge body 20 through the deformation of the fourth elastic member 44.

[0140] A guiding structure can be arranged between the driving member 41 and the ink cartridge body 20, and between the shielding member 42 and the ink cartridge body 20, so that both the driving member 41 and the ink cartridge body 20 move relative to the ink cartridge body 20 along a preset direction, avoiding the deviation of the driving member 41 and the shielding member 42. The guiding structure can be a guiding groove or the like. The driving member 41 and the ink cartridge body 20 respectively achieve guiding through the sliding fit with the guiding groove. The guiding structure is not limited in this embodiment.

[0141] The shielding member 42 and the driving member 41 can be arranged at any position on the wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20. Optionally, in this embodiment, the driving member 41 and the shielding member 42 are arranged side by side in the height direction Z on the top wall surface 222 of the ink cartridge body 20. For example, the shielding member 42 is located above the driving member 41 in the height direction Z. In this way, the first engaging portion 411 of the driving member 41 is located above the driving member 41 in the height direction Z, and the second engaging portion 421 of the shielding member 42 is located below the shielding member 42 in the height direction Z.

[0142] The mounting portion 11 is provided with a protruding ejector rod structure 12 that protrudes from the inner wall surface of the mounting portion 11 for abutting against the driving member 41.

[0143] In this way, after the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the mounting portion 11, the shielding member 42 can first block the detection light emitted by the emitting member. When the ink cartridge body 20 resists the elastic force of the first elastic member and continues to move towards the inner side of the mounting portion 11, the ejector rod structure 12 abuts against the driving member 41 and pushes the driving member 41 to move relative to the ink cartridge body 20. At this time, the fourth elastic member 44 is compressed.

[0144] Then the first engaging portion 411 and the second engaging portion 421 abut against each other. In this way, driven by the driving member 41, the shielding member 42 also moves relative to the ink cartridge body 20. At this time, the third elastic member 43 is compressed.

[0145] The first engaging portion 411 is provided with a guiding inclined surface, and the second engaging portion 421 can move along the guiding inclined surface towards the side away from the driving member 41. That is, during the process of the first engaging portion 411 and the second engaging portion 421 abutting against each other, the second engaging portion 421 moves relative to the first engaging portion 411 along the guiding inclined surface until the first engaging portion 411 and the second engaging portion 421 are separated from each other. Under the elastic force of the third elastic member 43, the shielding member 42 returns to its initial position relative to the ink cartridge body 20.

[0146] When the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed in the mounting portion 11, the shielding member 42 returns to its initial position relative to the ink cartridge body 20 and blocks the detection light of the emitting member again.

[0147] That is, in this embodiment, the ink cartridge body 20 is prompted to be installed in place by the secondary blocking action of the shielding member 42, avoiding misjudgment of the installation of the ink cartridge body 20 by the printer 10.

[0148] In this specification, the various embodiments or implementation manners are described in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts among the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0149] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0150] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge, applied to a printer, characterized in that, It includes an ink cartridge body and a connection component. The connection component is used to detachably connect the ink cartridge body to the printer. The ink cartridge body is used to store ink, and a liquid level detection part for detecting the remaining amount of ink is provided on the ink cartridge body. The printer is provided with a mounting part, and the ink cartridge body can extend into or out of the mounting part along the disassembly and assembly direction. Both the connection component and the liquid level detection part are located at the same end of the ink cartridge body along the direction of the maximum dimension. A chip is provided on the ink cartridge body. The ink cartridge has a bonding surface, which is the bonding surface formed between the ink cartridge body and the printer through the connection component. The bonding surface and the surface of the contacts of the chip are spaced apart in the direction perpendicular to the disassembly and assembly direction of the ink cartridge body.

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dimension of the ink cartridge body along the disassembly and assembly direction is greater than or equal to the cross-sectional dimension of the ink cartridge body in the circumferential direction. The ink cartridge body is provided with an end face and a circumferential wall surface. The end face is located at the end of the ink cartridge body along the disassembly and assembly direction. The circumferential wall surface is connected to the end face and is located in the circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body. The liquid level detection part is located on the end face of the ink cartridge body. The connection component is provided on the end face of the ink cartridge body or on the side of the circumferential wall surface close to the end face.

3. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that, A contact pin is provided on the printer. The chip is provided on the circumferential wall surface of the ink cartridge body. When the ink cartridge body is installed on the printer, the contact pin is electrically connected to the contacts of the chip.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the distance between the connection component and the end face along the disassembly and assembly direction is less than the distance between the chip and the end face along the disassembly and assembly direction; the distance between the connection component and the liquid level detection part along the height direction is less than the distance between the chip and the liquid level detection part along the height direction.

5. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The connection component includes a hook part and a hook groove. One of the hook part and the hook groove is provided on the ink cartridge body, and the other is provided on the mounting part. The hook part can extend into the hook groove to clamp the ink cartridge in the mounting part. When the ink cartridge is clamped in the mounting part, there is a fitting gap between the ink cartridge and the mounting part, so that the hook part can be disengaged from the hook groove through the relative movement between the ink cartridge and the mounting part.

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 5, wherein The hook part is provided on the ink cartridge body, the hook groove is provided on the mounting part, and the opening of the hook groove faces upward. The hook part can extend into the hook groove under the action of the gravity of the ink cartridge body.

7. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein The connection component includes a swing rod, a chute and a first elastic member. The first elastic member is connected to one of the printer and the ink cartridge body and can be compressed under pressure between the printer and the ink cartridge body. The chute is provided on one of the printer and the ink cartridge body. The other of the printer and the ink cartridge body is rotatably connected to the swing rod. A protruding sliding part is provided on the swing rod. When the ink cartridge body moves relative to the printer, the swing rod can rotate around its own rotation axis, so that the sliding part moves relative to the chute along the extension direction of the chute; when the ink cartridge body and the printer are relatively fixed, the sliding part abuts against the inner wall surface of the chute under the elastic force of the first elastic member.

8. The ink cartridge according to claim 7, characterized in that, The chute includes an introduction section, a clamping section, and an export section, and the clamping section communicates with the introduction section and the export section; When the ink cartridge body extends into the installation part, the swing rod is disposed opposite to the port of the introduction section, so that the sliding part can extend into the introduction section and move along the introduction section toward the side of the clamping section; The clamping section is provided with a clamping wall surface, and the clamping wall surface is bent toward the side of the rotation axis of the swing rod to accommodate the sliding part, and the sliding part can abut against the clamping wall surface under the elastic force of the first elastic member; Wherein, when the chute and the swing rod move toward each other, the sliding part can slide out of the clamping section along the clamping wall surface and extend out along the export section under the elastic force of the first elastic member, so that the ink cartridge body and the printer are separated from each other.

9. The ink cartridge according to claim 8, characterized in that, The connection assembly further includes a second elastic member, the second elastic member is connected to the swing rod, and the second elastic member and the sliding part are respectively located at both ends of the rotation axis of the swing rod; and when the second elastic member is in a natural state, the swing rod extends toward the export section.

10. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The number of the connection assemblies is multiple, and the multiple connection assemblies are arranged on the end face and / or the side wall surface of the ink cartridge body, and the multiple connection assemblies are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body.

11. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The printer is provided with a light detection member, and the light detection member is arranged in the installation part; the ink cartridge is provided with a shielding assembly, and when the ink cartridge body is installed on the printer, the shielding assembly shields the detection light emitted by the light detection member to indicate that the ink cartridge body is installed in the installation part.

12. The ink cartridge according to claim 11, wherein, The shielding assembly includes a driving member, a shielding member, and a third elastic member. The two ends of the third elastic member are respectively connected to the shielding member and the ink cartridge body. The driving member is provided with a first clamping portion, and the shielding member is provided with a second clamping portion. The first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are respectively arranged on the sides of the driving member and the shielding member facing each other; When the ink cartridge body moves relative to the printer, the driving member abuts against the printer, and drives the shielding member to move relative to the ink cartridge body toward the side away from the printer through the abutment between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion; Wherein, the first clamping portion is provided with a guiding inclined surface, and the second clamping portion can move along the guiding inclined surface toward the side away from the driving member. When the ink cartridge body is fixed in the installation part through the connection assembly, the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are separated from each other, and the shielding member can extend out under the elastic force of the third elastic member and shield the detection light emitted by the light detection member.

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