Ink cartridge ink depletion detection method and ink cartridge

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for detecting the depletion of ink in an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge. The method is to make the printer's ink level detection of the ink cartridge invalid, so that the printer believes that the ink cartridge is in a state where the ink is not depleted. A liquid level detection mechanism is provided in the ink cartridge, and the liquid level detection mechanism converts the ink level into an electrical signal and feeds back the signal to a control board of the ink cartridge. After the ink level is depleted, the control board feeds back a fault signal or stops feeding back the signal to the printer, so that the printer makes an ink cartridge fault judgment, thereby realizing ink depletion detection without changing the original printer. This method has low requirements for basic materials, and has accurate detection and strong reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an ink cartridge, in particular to a method for detecting ink depletion of the ink cartridge and the ink cartridge. Background Art

[0002] Reference Figure 5 In the prior art, the ink depletion detection is to provide an infrared light source and a receiver on the printer, and a transparent photosensitive area on the ink cartridge. After the ink cartridge is installed, the transparent photosensitive area of the ink cartridge is located between the light source and the receiver. A light blocker is hinged inside the ink cartridge, and the light blocker rotates by buoyancy. When there is ink, the light shielding part at the upper end of the light blocker moves to the photosensitive area to block the infrared light. If there is no ink, the light shielding part moves away, and the light from the light source will be emitted to the receiver. After receiving the infrared light, the receiver transmits a signal to the printer, and the printer gives an ink-out information and specifies to stop the machine. The prior art uses the photosensitive principle to detect the ink level in the ink cartridge. This detection mechanism has high requirements on product color, material transmittance, etc. If the material does not meet the standards or deteriorates or deforms, or there are problems in the product storage and other links, it will cause the product to eventually fail and the reliability is not high. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a method for detecting ink depletion of an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is:

[0005] A method for detecting the depletion of ink in an ink cartridge is disclosed. The method is to disable the printer's ink level detection of the ink cartridge, so that the printer believes that the ink cartridge is in a state where the ink is not depleted. A liquid level detection mechanism is provided in the ink cartridge, and the liquid level detection mechanism converts the ink level into an electrical signal and feeds it back to a control board of the ink cartridge. After the ink is depleted, the control board feeds back a fault signal or stops feeding back the signal to the printer, so that the printer makes a judgment on the ink cartridge failure, thereby realizing the detection of ink depletion without changing the original printer.

[0006] The method is to set a switch circuit between the control board and the liquid level detection mechanism. After the ink is exhausted, the switch circuit is opened or closed, so that the control board can feed back a fault signal or stop feeding back a signal to the printer.

[0007] An ink cartridge with an ink depletion detection mechanism includes a cartridge body and a control board mounted on the cartridge body, an ink cavity being provided in the cartridge body, a light-blocking portion being provided in the cartridge body for blocking printer detection light, and a liquid level detection mechanism being provided in the cartridge body or in the ink cavity and electrically connected to the control board.

[0008] The liquid level detection mechanism includes a liquid level cavity provided in the ink cavity, a water inlet provided at the upper end of the liquid level cavity and a water outlet provided at the lower end, the water inlet being communicated with the ink cavity, two conductive rods being vertically installed in the liquid level cavity, the upper ends of the conductive rods being electrically connected to the control board, and the conductive rods being electrically connected to each other through conductors.

[0009] When the ink in the liquid level cavity penetrates the lower ends of the conductive rods, the conductive rods are electrically connected.

[0010] A conductive plate floating on the ink liquid surface is placed in the liquid level cavity. When the ink in the liquid level cavity penetrates the lower end of the conductive rod, the lower end of the conductive rod is electrically connected to the conductive plate.

[0011] The liquid level detection mechanism includes a liquid level cavity arranged in the ink cavity, a water inlet is provided at the upper end of the liquid level cavity, and a water outlet is provided at the lower end, the water inlet is communicated with the ink cavity, a magnet is placed in the liquid level cavity, a float is installed on the top of the magnet, a Hall sensor is installed on the lower side of the box body corresponding to the liquid level cavity, and the Hall sensor is electrically connected to the control board.

[0012] The box body is provided with an installation cavity, and the Hall sensor is installed in the installation cavity.

[0013] The beneficial effect of the present invention is: the present invention abandons the photosensitive principle of the prior art to detect the ink level in the ink cartridge, but first makes the printer's ink level detection of the ink cartridge invalid. The printer believes that the ink cartridge is in an ink-not-exhausted state, and sets a liquid level detection mechanism in the ink cartridge. The liquid level detection mechanism converts the ink level into an electrical signal and feeds it back to the control board of the ink cartridge. After the ink level is exhausted, the control board feeds back a fault signal or stops feeding back the signal to the printer, so that the printer makes an ink cartridge fault judgment, thereby realizing the detection of ink exhaustion without changing the original printer. This method has low requirements for basic materials, accurate detection and strong reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0015] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the first embodiment of the ink cartridge;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the liquid level detection mechanism in the above embodiment;

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the liquid level detection mechanism in the above embodiment;

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a second embodiment of an ink cartridge;

[0019] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the ink cartridge in the prior art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] To make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features therein can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0021] It is to be understood that these descriptions are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0022] Reference Figures 1 to 4 , a method for detecting the depletion of ink in an ink cartridge, the method is to make the printer's ink level detection of the ink cartridge invalid, a specific implementation method can be to replace the transparent photosensitive area in the existing ink cartridge with an opaque light-blocking part, the existing transparent photosensitive area can be set on the top of the ink cartridge, or at the position corresponding to the ink cavity; or a sticker or coating can be used to block the light emitted by the light source; when the ink cartridge is installed, after the printer's light-emitting end emits light, the receiving end does not receive the light source at all, so that the printer always believes that the ink cartridge is in an ink-not-depleted state and can be used normally, that is, deceive the detection mechanism built into the printer; set The liquid level detection mechanism converts the ink volume into an electrical signal and feeds it back to the control board of the ink cartridge. In this embodiment, a chip is installed on the control board. After the ink volume is exhausted, the control board feeds back a fault signal or stops feeding back the signal to the printer. A specific implementation method is that after the ink volume is exhausted, the control board feeds back a fault signal to the printer through the signal port, so that the printer makes an ink cartridge fault judgment and shuts down; or after the ink volume is exhausted, the control board itself stops working and stops feeding back information, so that the printer also makes an ink cartridge fault judgment and shuts down; thus, ink exhaustion detection is realized without changing the original printer.

[0023] Specifically, the method is to set a switch circuit between the control board and the liquid level detection mechanism. After the ink is exhausted, the switch circuit is opened or closed, so that the control board feeds back a fault signal or stops feeding back a signal to the printer.

[0024] An ink cartridge with an ink depletion detection mechanism includes a cartridge body 1 and a control board 2 installed outside the cartridge body 1. An ink chamber 3 is provided inside the cartridge body 1, an ink outlet tube 4 is provided outside the cartridge body 1, and a light shielding portion 5 is provided outside the cartridge body 1. A liquid level detection mechanism electrically connected to the control board 2 is provided inside the cartridge body 1 or in the ink chamber 3. In this embodiment, the liquid level detection mechanism has the following structure: a liquid level chamber 6 is provided inside the ink chamber 3, a water inlet 7 is provided at the upper end of the liquid level chamber 6, and a water outlet 8 is provided at the lower end. The water inlet 7 communicates with the ink chamber 3, and the water outlet 8 communicates with the ink outlet tube 4. Two conductive rods 9 are vertically installed in the liquid level chamber 6, the upper ends of the conductive rods 9 are electrically connected to the control board 2, and the conductive rods 9 are electrically connected to each other through conductors.

[0025] The conductor can be ink. When the ink in the liquid level cavity 6 soaks over the lower end of the conductive rod 9, the conductive rods 9 are electrically connected, so that the circuit between the control board 2 and the conductive rod 9 is conductive; the conductor can also be a conductive plate 10. A conductive plate 10 floating on the ink liquid surface is placed in the liquid level cavity 6. When the ink in the liquid level cavity 6 soaks over the lower end of the conductive rod 9, the lower end of the conductive rod 9 is electrically connected to the conductive plate 10, so that the circuit between the control board 2, the conductive rod 9 and the conductive plate 10 is conductive.

[0026] A water inlet channel 11 is provided at the bottom of the ink chamber 3 and communicates with the ink chamber 3 . The water inlet channel 11 communicates with the water inlet 7 to ensure that the ink in the ink chamber 3 can be completely exhausted.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the liquid level detection mechanism is a circuit disconnecting device provided on the control board. When there is ink remaining in the ink cartridge, the ink flows through the water inlet channel 11 into the liquid level chamber 6 under the action of the printer inflating and pressurizing the ink cartridge. As the ink level in the liquid level chamber 6 continues to rise, when the ink soaks the lower end of the conductive rod 9, the conductive rods 9 are connected, so that the power contacts of the control board work normally; when the ink is exhausted, the liquid level in the liquid level chamber 6 drops, the conductive rods 9 are disconnected, the control board stops working, and stops feeding back signals to the printer, so that the printer makes a judgment of ink cartridge failure and shuts down.

[0028] An ink cartridge with an ink depletion detection mechanism includes a cartridge body 1 and a control board 2 installed outside the cartridge body 1, an ink chamber 3 is provided inside the cartridge body 1, an ink outlet tube 4 is provided outside the cartridge body 1, and an opaque light-blocking portion 5 is provided outside the cartridge body 1. A liquid level detection mechanism electrically connected to the control board 2 is provided inside the cartridge body 1 or in the ink chamber 3. In this embodiment, the structure of the liquid level detection mechanism is as follows: a liquid level chamber 6 is provided inside the ink chamber 3, a water inlet 7 is provided at the upper end of the liquid level chamber 6, and a water outlet 8 is provided at the lower end. The water inlet 7 is communicated with the ink chamber 3, and the water outlet 8 is communicated with the ink outlet tube 4. A magnet 11 is placed in the liquid level chamber 6, and a float 12 is installed on the top of the magnet 11. A Hall sensor 13 is installed on the lower side of the cartridge body 1 corresponding to the liquid level chamber 6, and the Hall sensor 13 is electrically connected to the control board 2.

[0029] A water inlet channel 11 communicating with the water inlet 7 is provided on one side of the liquid level cavity 6 , and the water inlet end of the water inlet channel 11 is located at the bottom of the ink cavity 3 , ensuring that the ink in the ink cavity 3 can be completely exhausted.

[0030] The box body 1 is provided with a mounting cavity 14 , and the Hall sensor 13 is mounted in the mounting cavity 14 .

[0031] In the above embodiment, the liquid level detection mechanism is a magnetic sensing device arranged in the liquid level cavity 6. When the ink in the ink cartridge is not exhausted, the ink flows through the water inlet channel 11 and flows into the liquid level cavity 6 under the action of the printer inflating and pressurizing the ink cartridge. As the liquid level of the ink in the liquid level cavity 6 continues to rise, the magnet 11 moves upward under the buoyancy of the float 12, away from the Hall sensor 13 below. The Hall sensor 13 has no feedback signal, and it is considered that the ink in the cartridge is not exhausted; when the ink is exhausted, the liquid level in the liquid level cavity 6 drops, the magnet 11 moves downward, triggering the Hall sensor 13 and feeding back a signal to the control board. The control board feeds back a fault signal to the printer, and the printer is judged to be faulty and shuts down.

[0032] In the present invention, the term "plurality" refers to two or more, unless expressly limited otherwise. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items. Terms such as "installed," "connected," "connected," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connected" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; "connected" can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "assembled to," "mounted to," "fixed to," or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation methods.

[0034] Throughout this specification, terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," and "specific embodiments" mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, illustrative uses of these terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0035] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for detecting the depletion of ink in an ink cartridge, characterized in that The ink cartridge comprises a cartridge body (1) and a control board (2) mounted on the cartridge body (1); an ink cavity (3) is provided in the cartridge body (1); and a light blocking portion (5) for blocking printer detection light is provided on the cartridge body (1). The method is to disable the printer's ink level detection of the ink cartridge, so that the printer considers that the ink cartridge is in an ink non-exhausted state, and to provide a liquid level detection mechanism in the ink cartridge. The liquid level detection mechanism converts the ink level into an electrical signal and feeds it back to the control board of the ink cartridge. After the ink level is exhausted, the control board feeds back a fault signal or stops feeding back the signal to the printer, so that the printer makes an ink cartridge fault judgment, thereby realizing ink exhaustion detection without changing the original printer.

2. The ink cartridge ink depletion detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method is to set a switch circuit between the control board and the liquid level detection mechanism. After the ink is exhausted, the switch circuit is opened or closed, so that the control board can feed back a fault signal or stop feeding back a signal to the printer.

3. An ink cartridge with an ink depletion detection mechanism using the ink depletion detection method of the ink cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that A liquid level detection mechanism electrically connected to the control board (2) is provided in the box body (1) or the ink chamber (3).

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that The liquid level detection mechanism includes a liquid level cavity (6) arranged in the ink cavity (3), a water inlet (7) is provided at the upper end of the liquid level cavity (6), and a water outlet (8) is provided at the lower end, the water inlet (7) is communicated with the ink cavity (3), two conductive rods (9) are vertically installed in the liquid level cavity (6), the upper ends of the conductive rods (9) are electrically connected to the control board (2), and the conductive rods (9) are electrically connected to each other through conductors.

5. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, characterized in that When the ink in the liquid level cavity (6) penetrates the lower ends of the conductive rods (9), the conductive rods (9) are electrically connected.

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, characterized in that A conductive plate (10) floating on the ink liquid surface is placed in the liquid level cavity (6); when the ink in the liquid level cavity (6) penetrates the lower end of the conductive rod (9), the lower end of the conductive rod (9) is electrically connected to the conductive plate (10).

7. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that The liquid level detection mechanism includes a liquid level cavity (6) arranged in the ink cavity (3), a water inlet (7) is provided at the upper end of the liquid level cavity (6), and a water outlet (8) is provided at the lower end, the water inlet (7) is communicated with the ink cavity (3), a magnet (11) is placed in the liquid level cavity (6), a float (12) is installed on the top of the magnet (11), a Hall sensor (13) is installed on the lower side of the box body (1) corresponding to the liquid level cavity (6), and the Hall sensor (13) is electrically connected to the control board (2).

8. The ink cartridge according to claim 7, characterized in that An installation cavity (14) is provided in the box body (1), and the Hall sensor (13) is installed in the installation cavity (14).

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