Chip and ink cartridge

Abstract

The present application relates to a chip and an ink cartridge having the chip, the chip comprising a substrate and a plurality of contact portions provided on the substrate, the contact portions being electrically connected with external contact pins when the ink cartridge is installed; in a left-right direction, the plurality of contact portions are divided into end contact portions located at left and right ends and at least one intermediate contact portion located between the two end contact portions, each contact portion being in contact with a corresponding contact pin to form a contact point; a first surface passes through a region including the contact point located in any one of the two end contact portions; a second surface passes through a region including the contact point located in the at least one intermediate contact portion; the first surface and the second surface do not coincide, and the left and right sides of the chip can be effectively positioned, and the contact pin corresponding to the intermediate contact portion does not have to apply a downward pressure to the intermediate contact portion, as long as the contact pin can be in contact with the intermediate contact portion, so that the position accuracy requirements of the intermediate contact portion and the contact pin corresponding to the intermediate contact portion are reduced.

Description

[0001] The present application claims priority from the utility model application No. CN202220634620.0 filed on March 22, 2022 in the China Patent Office, and the title of which is "Chip and ink cartridge", the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of inkjet imaging, and in particular to an ink cartridge which is detachably installed in an inkjet printer and a chip installed on the ink cartridge. BACKGROUND

[0003] The existing ink cartridge is usually provided with a chip which can establish a communication connection with the inkjet printer, and the chip stores various parameter information of the ink cartridge. Generally, the chip includes a substrate and a plurality of contact portions provided on one surface of the substrate. According to actual use requirements, the number of contact portions is not limited. For example, the chip is provided with three contact portions, which are a power contact portion, a ground contact portion and a signal contact portion. When the ink cartridge is installed, the contact needles in the inkjet printer are respectively electrically connected with the corresponding contact portions of the chip, so that the communication connection between the chip and the inkjet printer is established.

[0004] In actual use, the plurality of contact needles and the plurality of contact portions need to ensure simultaneous contact, and the position of the contact needle cannot be offset, which requires high position accuracy of the contact needle and the contact portion. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a chip and an ink cartridge with the chip. When the ink cartridge is installed, even if the position of the contact portion of the chip is offset or the position of the contact needle in the inkjet printer is offset, the chip can still establish stable electrical connection with the inkjet printer. The specific scheme is as follows:

[0006] The chip is used for being fixed on the ink cartridge which is detachably installed to the inkjet printer along the front-rear direction. The inkjet printer is provided with contact needles arranged in a row along the left-right direction. The contact needles are movable along the up-down direction. The front-rear direction, the left-right direction and the up-down direction including the up direction are perpendicular to each other. The chip includes a substrate and a plurality of contact portions provided on the substrate. When the ink cartridge is installed to the predetermined position of the inkjet printer, the contact portions are electrically connected with the contact needles provided in the inkjet printer. Along the left-right direction, the plurality of contact portions are divided into end contact portions located at the left and right ends and at least one intermediate contact portion located between the two end contact portions. Each contact portion is in contact with the corresponding contact needle to form a contact point. A first surface passes through a region including the contact point in any one of the two end contact portions. A second surface passes through a region including the contact point in the at least one intermediate contact portion. The first surface and the second surface do not coincide.

[0007] Specifically, according to the position of the contact point in the middle contact part, the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other or perpendicular to each other; when the chip contacts the contact pin, the contact pin applies a force to the two end contact parts in the same direction.

[0008] In some embodiments, the end contact part is subjected to a downward force of the contact pin, the middle contact part is subjected to a forward force of the contact pin, and the first surface and the second surface are perpendicular to each other.

[0009] In other embodiments, the end contact part is subjected to a downward force of the contact pin, and the middle contact part is also subjected to a downward force of the contact pin, and the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other.

[0010] Further, the chip further comprises a limiting groove arranged on the substrate, the limiting groove is recessed downward from the plane where the at least one end contact part is located, and has a first side surface facing the rear, a second side surface facing the right, and a third side surface facing the left, the second side surface and the third side surface are parallel to each other, and the first side surface is perpendicular to the second side surface and the third side surface at the same time, and the at least one middle contact part is arranged in the limiting groove.

[0011] When the at least one middle contact part is arranged on the first side surface, the first surface and the second surface are perpendicular to each other; the limiting groove further comprises a fourth side surface facing upward, the first side surface, the second side surface and the third side surface are perpendicular to the fourth side surface at the same time, and when the at least one middle contact part is arranged on the fourth side surface, the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other.

[0012] The chip further comprises a guide groove arranged adjacent to the limiting groove, the guide groove is recessed downward from the plane where the at least one end contact part is located, and the at least one middle contact part is arranged on the guide groove.

[0013] Alternatively, the chip further comprises a connecting platform protruding from the plane where the at least one end contact part is located, and the at least one middle contact part is arranged on the surface of the connecting platform facing upward or on the surface of the connecting platform facing left and right directions.

[0014] Preferably, the two end contact parts located in the left and right directions are symmetrically arranged relative to the middle contact part; the chip is provided with a plurality of fixed parts, and the shapes of the plurality of fixed parts are different in the plane perpendicular to the up and down directions; along the front and rear directions, the contact point formed in the middle contact part does not exceed the range of the end contact part.

[0015] The application also provides an ink cartridge, which comprises a shell containing ink, an ink outlet part located in front of the shell, and a chip as described above, the chip being fixedly installed on the shell, and along the up and down directions, the ink outlet part is located below the shell, and the chip is located above the shell.

[0016] Further, the ink cartridge further comprises a detection part provided on the housing, the chip is provided adjacent to the detection part along the front-rear direction, and the inkjet printer determines whether the ink cartridge is installed or not, or the type of the installed ink cartridge according to the signal of the detection part detected by the inductor provided therein.

[0017] Preferably, the detection part is a plate-shaped object extending along the front-rear direction, the up-down direction and the left-right direction, the size of the detection part in the left-right direction is not less than the size of the intermediate contact part, or the plane L1 passes through the center of the intermediate contact part in the left-right direction, the plane L2 passes through the center of the detection part in the left-right direction, and the plane L1 and the plane L2 are parallel to each other and do not coincide with each other.

[0018] When the chip contacts the stylus, the two end contact parts in the left-right direction are subjected to the downward pressure applied by the stylus, and the left and right sides of the chip can be effectively positioned, so that the stylus corresponding to the intermediate contact part does not have to apply the downward pressure to the intermediate contact part, and only needs to be in contact with the intermediate contact part, and thus the position accuracy requirements of the intermediate contact part and the stylus corresponding to the intermediate contact part are reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge according to the present application.

[0020] Figure 2 is a plan view of the ink cartridge according to the present application when viewed from above along the up-down direction.

[0021] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first chip according to the present application.

[0022] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the second chip according to the present application.

[0023] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the third chip according to the present application.

[0024] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the fourth chip according to the present application.

[0025] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the fifth chip according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1is a perspective view of the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge 100 is generally cuboid-shaped, and can be combined with an ink cartridge mounting portion in an inkjet printer in a detachable manner, the ink cartridge mounting portion is provided with a contact pin portion 9, according to the number of contact portions of the chip 5 in the ink cartridge 100, the number of contact pins 90 in the contact pin portion 9 corresponds to the number of contact portions. The ink cartridge 100 has a length extending in the front-rear direction, a width extending in the left-right direction and a height extending in the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction and the up-down direction are perpendicular to each other, the ink cartridge 100 is mounted to the inkjet printer forwardly in the front-rear direction and is taken out rearwardly; each contact pin 90 is provided in a sheet shape and can move in the up-down direction, when viewed in the left-right direction, the plurality of contact pins 90 overlap with each other, thus, the plurality of contact pins 90 are arranged in a row, the circuit structure in the inkjet printer can be simplified, each contact pin 90 comprises an apex 94 located at the lowermost position and a side surface adjacent to the apex 94, as shown in Figure 1 the front-rear direction, the contact pin 90 has a front side 91 located in front of the apex 94 and a rear side 92 located behind the apex 94, in the left-right direction, the contact pin 90 has a left side 93 located in front of the apex 94 and a right side (not shown) located behind the apex 94.

[0028] As shown in the figure, the ink cartridge 100 comprises a housing 2 containing ink, an ink outlet portion 3 located in front of the housing 2 and a positioning portion 4, the ink in the housing 2 is supplied to the inkjet printer through the ink outlet portion 3, the positioning portion 4 is provided with an elastic member, during the installation of the ink cartridge 100, the elastic member is elastically deformed and generates a force to push the ink cartridge 100 rearwardly, in the up-down direction, the ink outlet portion 3 is located below the housing 2, and the positioning portion 4 is located above the housing 2.

[0029] In order to facilitate the taking-out operation of the ink cartridge 100, the ink cartridge 100 further comprises a force receiving portion 6 provided on the housing 2 and a containing portion 7 provided adjacent to the force receiving portion 6, the operator puts his fingers into the containing portion 7 and applies a rearward pulling force to the force receiving portion 6, under the joint action of the elastic restoring force of the elastic member, the ink cartridge 100 can be easily taken out, further, the elastic member can also not be provided, at this time, the operator can also take out the ink cartridge 100 by applying a rearward pulling force to the force receiving portion 6 through the fingers only. Preferably, when the ink cartridge 100 is in an upright posture or a posture of being installed to the inkjet printer, the force receiving portion 6 is a protrusion protruding from the housing 2, which can protrude upwardly, or forwardly or rearwardly, the containing portion 7 is located in front of the force receiving portion 6, when the height of the ink cartridge 100 is limited, the containing portion 7 is a groove formed by downwardly recessing from the upper surface of the ink cartridge 100, when the height of the ink cartridge 100 is not limited, the containing portion 7 is a part of the upper surface of the ink cartridge 100; the protruding size of the force receiving portion 6 is not limited, which can have a size measured by a common measuring tool, or can be a rib provided on the housing 2.

[0030] Continue as Figure 1As shown, the upper surface 8 of the shell 2 is a plane, during the installation and removal of the ink cartridge 100, the upper part of the shell 2 can be effectively prevented from interfering with the inner wall of the inkjet printer, for example, if the inner wall of the inkjet printer opposite to the upper surface of the shell 2 is provided with a limiting part facing the shell 2, the limiting part can move along the up-down direction, during the installation of the ink cartridge 100, the limiting part can be supported by the plane 8 without interfering with other parts of the ink cartridge 100, on the contrary, during the removal of the ink cartridge 100, the limiting part also does not interfere with other parts of the ink cartridge 100.

[0031] The ink cartridge 100 further comprises a chip 5 installed on the upper part of the shell 2, when the ink cartridge is installed to the predetermined position of the inkjet printer, the chip 5 is electrically connected with the stylus in the device, along the up-down direction, the chip 5 can be higher than the upper surface 8, can be lower than the upper surface 8, and can be flush with the upper surface 8, along the up-down direction, the chip 5 and the ink outlet part 3 are arranged separately, and the chip 5 is higher than the ink outlet part 3, which is beneficial to prevent the ink leaked from the ink outlet part 3 from flowing to the chip 5 to cause the chip short circuit. Further, the ink cartridge 100 further comprises a detection part 21 arranged on the shell 2, the detection part 21 is arranged adjacent to the chip 5 along the front-rear direction, the detection part 21 can be detected by the inductor in the inkjet printer, for example, along the left-right direction, the inkjet printer is provided with a light emitting element and a light receiving element, during the installation of the ink cartridge 100, when the detection part 21 reaches between the light emitting element and the light receiving element, the light receiving element cannot receive the light emitted by the light emitting element, or the intensity of the received light becomes weak, therefore, the detection part 21 can be called a light attenuation part, the inkjet printer can obtain the signal that the ink cartridge is installed, further, the inkjet printer can also determine the model of the installed ink cartridge according to the time length, frequency and other parameters that the light receiving element cannot receive the light emitted by the light emitting element, or according to the intensity, time length and other parameters of the light emitted by the light emitting element received by the light receiving element. The light attenuation part 21 can attenuate light in the form of reflection, refraction or absorption, along the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, the relative position of the light attenuation part 21 and the chip 5 is not necessarily limited, it should be noted that when the chip 5 is arranged in front of the light attenuation part 21, preferably, the chip 5 is arranged below the light attenuation part 21, so that during the installation of the ink cartridge 100, the chip 5 in front will not affect the detection of the light attenuation part 21.

[0032] Embodiment one

[0033] Figure 2 is a top view of the ink cartridge involved in the present application when viewed from above along the up-down direction; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first chip involved in the present application.

[0034] The chip 5 comprises a substrate 50, and a first contact 51, a second contact 52 and a third contact 53 disposed on the substrate 50, the first contact 51 and the third contact 53 are conductors extending along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, generally, the first contact 51 and the third contact 53 are metal pieces disposed on the substrate 50, the first contact 51 and the third contact 53 are located on the same plane, along the left-right direction, the second contact 52 is located between the first contact 51 and the third contact 53, and the second contact 52 is located on another plane; along the left-right direction, the first contact 51, the second contact 52 and the third contact 53 each have a certain width, and hereinafter, the width of each contact will be described as d1.

[0035] The light attenuation part 21 is a plate-shaped object extending along the front-rear direction, the up-down direction and the left-right direction, along the left-right direction, the light attenuation part 21 has a width d2, which satisfies d2 is not less than d1, that is, the light attenuation part 21 has a larger width relative to the contact, in this way, by using the light attenuation part 21 with a larger width, the ink cartridge 100 can be more stably positioned in the inkjet printer; especially for the contact opposite to the light attenuation part 21 in the front-rear direction, during the installation of the ink cartridge 100, the light attenuation part 21 is located downstream of the contact and enters the ink cartridge installation part of the inkjet printer first, thus, the light attenuation part 21 can pre-clean the area of the ink cartridge installation part corresponding to the contact.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2 The plane L1 passes through the center of the second contact 52 in the left-right direction, and the plane L2 passes through the center of the light attenuation part 21 in the left-right direction, the plane L1 and the plane L2 are both perpendicular to the left-right direction, in other words, the plane L1 and the plane L2 are parallel to each other, in the embodiment of the present application, the plane L1 and the plane L2 do not coincide, this design will allow the center of the ink cartridge 100 to deviate from the width center of the second contact 52, thus, the space of the ink cartridge 100 for containing ink can be increased, for example, when the plane L1 is located on the left side of the plane L2, the space of the ink cartridge 100 for containing ink can be increased to the left side, on the contrary, when the plane L1 is located on the right side of the plane L2, the space of the ink cartridge 100 for containing ink can be increased to the right side.

[0037] The chip 5 is fixed using a three-point connection method. Correspondingly, the housing 2 is provided with a first fixing part 22, a second fixing part 23, and a third fixing part 24 that are connected to the chip 5. Specifically, the first fixing part 22 is connected to the first fixed part 54 of the chip 5, the second fixing part 23 is connected to the second fixed part 55 of the chip 5, and the third fixing part 24 is connected to the third fixed part 56. The first fixed part 54 and the second fixed part 55 are located on the same side of the chip 5, and the third fixed part 56 is located on the other side of the chip 5. This three-point connection method not only effectively fixes the chip 5 but also significantly improves the installation efficiency of the chip 5.

[0038] The first fixed portion 54 is a through hole provided on the substrate 50 and extending in the vertical direction, the through hole 54 being surrounded by the substrate 50; the second fixed portion 55 is a notch provided on the substrate 50 and extending in the vertical direction, the notch 55 being located at a corner of the substrate 50, and in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the notch 55 is not surrounded by the substrate 50 in at least one direction, preferably, in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the notch 55 is not surrounded by the substrate 50 in two directions, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the back and left sides of the notch 55 are not surrounded by the substrate 50. The right plane of the notch 55 intersects the front plane. More preferably, the right plane of the notch 55 and the front plane are perpendicular to each other. The third fixed part 56 is an arc-shaped groove provided on the substrate 50 and extending through it in the vertical direction, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the arc-shaped groove 56 is recessed from the front end of the substrate 50 to the rear. Correspondingly, the first fixing part 22, the second fixing part 23, and the third fixing part 24 have shapes that can match the shapes of the first fixed part 54, the second fixed part 55, and the third fixed part 56, respectively. That is, the first fixing part 22 is a cylinder, the second fixing part 23 is a prism, and the third fixing part 24 is a column with an arc surface. On a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction, the shapes of the first fixed part 54, the second fixed part 55, and the third fixed part 56 are different. During the installation of the chip 5, the different shapes of each fixing part can effectively ensure that the chip 5 is installed along the correct installation direction.

[0039] Chip 5 has an upward-facing upper surface 59, on which a first contact portion 51 and a second contact portion 53 are disposed; chip 5 also includes a limiting groove 57 disposed on substrate 50, such as Figure 3As shown, along the up-down direction, the limiting groove 57 is formed by recessing from the upper surface 59 downwards, the upper and rear of the limiting groove 57 is open, having a first side surface 57a facing rear, a second side surface 57b facing right, a third side surface 57c facing left, and a fourth side surface 57d facing upwards, the second side surface 57b and the third side surface 57c are parallel to each other, the fourth side surface 57d is parallel to the upper surface 59, preferably, the first side surface 57a is perpendicular to the second side surface 57b, the third side surface 57c and the fourth side surface 57d at the same time, the second contact part 52 can be located on any one of the first side surface 57a, the second side surface 57b, the third side surface 57c and the fourth side surface 57d, that is, the plane where the second contact part 52 is located is perpendicular to the plane where the first contact part 51 is located, and also perpendicular to the plane where the third contact part 53 is located, along the left-right direction, the first contact part 51, the second contact part 52 and the third contact part 53 are no longer arranged in alignment; when the chip 5 contacts the stylus in the inkjet printer, the first contact part 51 forms a contact point A with the corresponding stylus, the third contact part 53 forms a contact point B with the corresponding stylus, and the second contact part 52 forms a contact point C with the corresponding stylus, the first surface S1 passes through the contact point A and the contact point B, and the second surface S2 passes through the contact point C, the first surface and the second surface do not coincide, wherein the first surface is perpendicular to the up-down direction, and the second surface can be perpendicular to the up-down direction or parallel to the up-down direction, thus, according to the position of the contact point C, the first surface and the second surface have two states of being parallel to each other and being perpendicular to each other; more specifically, the second surface can also be described as passing through at least the region of the second contact part 52 including the contact point C, which refers to the range of the second contact part 52 that can form a plane, when the second contact part 52 is flat, the second surface passes through the plane where the contact point C is located in the second contact part 52, that is, the surface of the second contact part 52 that contacts the second stylus, when the second contact part 52 is not flat, the second surface passes through at least the region of the second contact part 52 including the contact point C.

[0040] Specifically, when the ink cartridge 100 is installed to the predetermined position, the first contact part 51 and the third contact part 53 are both in contact with the apex 94 of the corresponding stylus in the inkjet printer, the stylus in contact with the first contact part 51 is referred to as the first stylus, the stylus in contact with the third contact part 53 is referred to as the third stylus, the second contact part 52 is in contact with the side surface of the corresponding stylus in the inkjet printer, the stylus in contact with the second contact part 52 is referred to as the second stylus, the first stylus, the second stylus and the third stylus are aligned and arranged in the left-right direction, the apex of the first stylus and the apex of the third stylus apply downward pressure to the first contact part 51 and the third contact part 53 respectively, the force in the left-right direction of the chip 5 can be kept balanced, the side surface of the second stylus applies a forward thrust to the second contact part 52, the thrust direction is opposite to the extraction direction of the ink cartridge, therefore, the ink cartridge 100 can be positioned more stably in the predetermined position of the inkjet printer.

[0041] The chip 5 and the ink cartridge 100 with the chip 5 involved in the present embodiment have the following beneficial effects:

[0042] In the left-right direction, the first contact part 51 and the third contact part 53 are respectively located on both sides of the second contact part 52, when the first stylus and the third stylus apply downward pressure to the first contact part 51 and the third contact part 53 respectively, the left and right sides of the chip 5 can be effectively positioned, especially when the first contact part 51 and the third contact part 53 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the second contact part 52, the force on the chip 5 will be more stable, even if the contact position of the second stylus with the second contact part 52 deviates, or the direction of the force applied by the second stylus to the second contact part 52 deviates, the chip 5 and the ink cartridge 100 with the chip 5 can still remain stable.

[0043] Further, the second contact pin not only does not have to apply downward pressure to the second contact portion 52, but also the position accuracy requirement of the second contact pin can be reduced, as long as the second contact pin can contact the second contact portion 52 within the left and right range of the second contact portion 52. The position accuracy requirement of the second contact portion 52 and the second contact pin can also be reduced. As described above, the second contact portion 52 can also be arranged on any one of the second side surface 57b, the third side surface 57c and the fourth side surface 57d. When the second contact portion 52 is arranged on the second side surface 57b or the third side surface 57c, the left side surface 93 or the right side surface of the second contact pin will contact the second contact portion 52, at this time, a surface contact will be formed between the second contact pin and the second contact portion 52, and the contact point C can be any one point on the contact surface. When the second contact portion 52 is arranged on the third side surface 57c, the vertex 94 of the second contact pin contacts the third side surface 57c, and the contact point C will be located on the third side surface 57c. That is, the second contact pin can be arranged to move between the second side surface 57b and the third side surface 57c in the left and right direction, so that the position accuracy requirement of the second contact portion 52 and the second contact pin is reduced.

[0044] When the contact point C is located on the first side surface 57a, the second surface is perpendicular to the front and back direction, and even if the elastic member in the positioning portion 4 applies a rearward force to the ink cartridge, since the second contact pin applies a forward thrust to the second contact portion 52, the ink cartridge 100 can be stably positioned in the inkjet printer.

[0045] Preferably, the chip 5 is provided with the three contact portions, each contact portion forms a contact point A / B / C with the contact pin, and the plane passing through the contact point A and the contact point B does not pass through the contact point C. The design of the three contact portions simplifies the structure of the chip 5 and the structure of the contact pin in the ink cartridge mounting portion. When the ink cartridge 100 needs to establish a communication connection with the inkjet printer through the chip 5, a smaller number of contact portions can ensure that the chip 5 and the contact pin in the inkjet printer can be contacted more quickly and stably. Especially in the case where the first contact portion 51 and the third contact portion 53 located on both sides of the left and right direction are respectively abutted downward by the first contact pin and the third contact pin, it is only necessary to ensure that the second contact pin located between the first contact pin and the third contact pin can contact the second contact portion 52 located between the first contact portion 51 and the third contact portion 53.

[0046] When the second contact portion 52 is arranged on the first side surface 57a or the fourth side surface 57d, the second contact portion 52 has a corresponding size in the left and right direction, and even if the vertex of the second contact pin is worn or deformed, as long as the side surface can contact the second contact portion 52, the shape requirement of the second contact pin is reduced.

[0047] As described above, the second side surface 57b, the third side surface 57c and the fourth side surface 57d of the limiting groove 57 can all be provided with the second contact portion 52, when the second contact portion 52 is provided on the second side surface 57b or the third side surface 57c, the second surface is perpendicular to the left-right direction, and when the second contact portion 52 is provided on the fourth side surface 57d, the second surface is perpendicular to the up-down direction. Even if the overall position of the second contact pin is shifted or the overall shape of the second contact pin is deformed, as long as the second contact pin enters the limiting groove 57, the electrical connection between the chip 5 and the contact pin can still be achieved.

[0048] More preferably, in the front-rear direction, the contact point C does not exceed the range of the first contact portion 51 and / or the third contact portion 53. This layout can effectively utilize the surface area of the substrate 50, and for an inkjet printer, the contact pins can be arranged more concentratedly, thereby effectively controlling the size of the inkjet printer. Conversely, in the front-rear direction, the contact point C can also be located outside the range of the first contact portion 51 and / or the third contact portion 53, in which case the front side 91 of the second contact pin is in contact with the second contact portion 52; when the limiting groove 57 is provided to be open upward and forward, the rear side 92 of the second contact pin is in contact with the second contact portion 52.

[0049] Embodiment Two

[0050] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second chip involved in the present application.

[0051] For ease of description, the same numbers will be used for the same components as in Embodiment One. In this embodiment, the limiting groove 57 of the chip is provided to be through in the up-down direction, and further, the rear of the limiting groove 57 is no longer surrounded by the substrate 50, in which case the limiting groove 57 no longer has the fourth side surface 57d.

[0052] The chip 5 and the ink cartridge 100 with the chip involved in this embodiment not only have the beneficial effects described above, but also when the ink cartridge 100 is installed to a predetermined position, the second contact pin can no longer be limited by the fourth side surface 57d and can be fully extended downward, which not only increases the contact area of the second contact pin with the second contact portion 52, but also increases the forward pushing force of the second contact pin on the second contact portion 52, and at the same time, the wear of the second contact pin can be reduced.

[0053] Embodiment Three

[0054] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a third chip involved in the present application.

[0055] For the convenience of description, the same components as those in Embodiment Two will be given the same reference numerals, and on the basis of Embodiment Two, the chip 5 in this embodiment further comprises a guide groove 58 arranged in front of the limiting groove 57. As shown in the figure, the guide groove 58 is recessed downward from the upper surface 59 of the substrate, and along the left-right direction, the guide groove 58 has the same size as the second contact part 52, and the substrate where the guide groove 58 is arranged is connected to the substrate where the first contact part 51 is arranged and the substrate where the third contact part 53 is arranged.

[0056] The chip 5 and the ink cartridge 100 with the chip involved in this embodiment not only have the beneficial effects described above, but also can reduce the friction between the second contact pin and the substrate 50 during the installation and removal of the ink cartridge 100, thereby better protecting the second contact pin. As a variation of this embodiment, the second contact part 52 can also be arranged on the guide groove 58.

[0057] Embodiment Four

[0058] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a fourth chip involved in the present application.

[0059] In this embodiment, the same components as those in the above embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and on the basis of Embodiment Three, the chip 5 in this embodiment further comprises a connecting platform 5c arranged in front of the limiting groove 57, the connecting platform 5c connects the substrate where the first contact part 51 is arranged and the substrate where the third contact part 53 is arranged, along the up-down direction, the connecting platform 5c is higher than the upper surface 59, and the surface of the connecting platform 5c facing upward or the surface of the connecting platform 5c facing backward can be arranged as the second contact part 52, so that the contact point C can be located on the surface of the connecting platform 5c facing upward, at this time, the second surface passes through the surface facing upward, or the contact point C can be located on the surface of the connecting platform 5c facing backward, at this time, the second surface passes through the surface facing backward.

[0060] However, no matter which surface the contact point C is located on, the first surface and the second surface do not coincide, and similarly, according to the position of the contact point C, the first surface and the second surface can be parallel to each other or perpendicular to each other. When the contact point C is located on the surface of the connecting platform 5c facing upward, the size of the second contact pin in the up-down direction can be shortened, or in the case where the size remains unchanged, the second contact pin generates a larger deformation amount, thereby making the chip 5 receive a greater downward pressure; when the contact point C is located on the surface of the connecting platform 5c facing backward, similarly, the size of the second contact pin in the up-down direction can also be shortened, or in the case where the size remains unchanged, the second contact pin applies a greater forward thrust to the connecting platform 5c.

[0061] It can be understood that the connecting platform 5c can also be arranged behind the limiting groove 57, in which case the connecting platform 5c has a surface facing upward and a surface facing forward, and when the contact point C is located on the surface facing forward, the second contact pin can smoothly reach the position of contacting the second contact part 52 under the guidance of the limiting groove 57; the second contact part 52 can also be arranged on any one of the second side surface 57b and the third side surface 57c of the limiting groove 57.

[0062] Preferably, the contact point C in the embodiment can also be arranged such that, in the front-rear direction, the contact point C does not exceed the range of the first contact part 51 and / or the third contact part 53, so as to improve the surface utilization rate of the substrate 50 or reduce the size of the inkjet printer.

[0063] Embodiment five

[0064] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the fifth chip involved in the present application.

[0065] In the embodiment, the connecting platform 5c is arranged to exceed the range of the first contact part 51 and the third contact part 53 in the front-rear direction, and the limiting groove 57 is no longer arranged, and the contact point C is located on the surface of the connecting platform 5c facing upward, in which case the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other.

[0066] According to the above description, preferably, in the front-rear direction, the contact point C does not exceed the range of the first contact part 51 and / or the third contact part 53, in which case the contact part on the connecting platform 5c behind the dashed line in the figure no longer functions, that is, the contact part behind the dashed line has or does not have no effect on the use of the chip 5.

[0067] On the contrary, without considering the surface utilization rate of the substrate 50 or the size in the inkjet printer, the contact point C can also be located outside the range of the first contact part 51 and / or the third contact part 53 in the front-rear direction, that is, the contact point C is located on the contact part behind the dashed line in the front-rear direction.

[0068] Based on the above inventive concept, the opening direction of the limiting groove 57 is not limited to that shown in the figure, i.e. the limiting groove 57 can also be opened forward, along the front-rear direction, the guide groove 58 or the connecting table 5c is arranged adjacent to the limiting groove 57, when the ink cartridge 100 provided with the chip 5 is installed forward, the second contact pin is more easily in contact with the second contact portion along the limiting groove 57; the first surface S1 and the second surface S2 can also be arranged such that the second surface S2 is arranged perpendicular to the up-down direction, the first surface S1 is perpendicular to the second surface S2, i.e. the area where the existing first contact portion 51 is located and the area where the third contact portion 53 is located are both recessed downward relative to the second contact portion 52, at this time, along the front-rear direction, the second contact portion 52 protrudes backward relative to the first contact portion 51 and the third contact portion 53, and the first contact portion 51 and the third contact portion 53 are respectively located on the surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction, when the chip 5 contacts the contact pin, the first contact portion 51 and the third contact portion 53 will be simultaneously subjected to a forward pushing force, and the second contact portion 52 is subjected to a downward pressure, that is, the direction of the force exerted by the contact pin on the first contact portion 51 and the third contact portion 53 is the same, which is the forward direction, and the force exerted by the contact pin on the second contact portion 52 is the downward direction, that is, the direction of the force exerted by the contact pin on the first contact portion 51 and the third contact portion 53 is different from the direction of the force exerted by the contact pin on the second contact portion 52, but at this time the chip 5 can still be stably positioned, and the ink cartridge 100 can be stably installed in the inkjet printer.

[0069] According to the above embodiment, when the number of contact portions of the chip is more than three, and the plurality of contact portions are arranged along the left-right direction, for the convenience of description, the contact portions located at the ends of the left-right direction are referred to as end contact portions, and the contact portions located between the two end contact portions are referred to as intermediate contact portions, at this time, the number of intermediate contact portions will not be less than two, each contact portion is in contact with the corresponding contact pin in the inkjet printer to form a contact point, the plurality of contact portions can be arranged such that the first surface S1 and the second surface S2 do not coincide, wherein the first surface S1 is a plane passing through a contact point on a contact portion located at the end of the left-right direction, and the second surface S2 is at least a region including a contact point of an intermediate contact portion, the first surface S1 and the second surface S2 can be perpendicular to each other or parallel to each other.

[0070] Preferably, the contact point of the at least one intermediate contact does not exceed the range of the end contact in the front-rear direction, and more preferably, the distance from the two end contacts to the intermediate contact is equal in the left-right direction; it can also be understood that the planes in which the two end contacts are located can coincide or be parallel to each other, when the planes in which the surfaces forming the contact points in the two end contacts coincide, the first surface passes through the coincident plane, and when the planes in which the surfaces forming the contact points in the two end contacts are parallel to each other, the first surface can be any one of the planes in which the two end contacts are located, and when the surfaces forming the contact points in the two end contacts are non-planar, the first surface is a region passing through any one of the contact points A and B.

[0071] For example, when the chip is provided with five contacts arranged in the left-right direction, the first contact, the second contact, the third contact, the fourth contact and the fifth contact are sequentially arranged from left to right in the left-right direction, at this time, the first contact and the fifth contact are end contacts, the second contact, the third contact and the fourth contact can all be referred to as intermediate contacts, and the plane in which the first contact is located and the plane in which the fifth contact is located are all not coincident with the plane in which the second contact is located, the plane in which the third contact is located and the plane in which the fourth contact is located, preferably, the plane in which the third contact is located is arranged to be perpendicular to the plane in which the first contact is located and the plane in which the fifth contact is located; further, the second contact, the third contact and the fourth contact can also be arranged such that the plane in which the second contact is located and the plane in which the fourth contact are both perpendicular to the plane in which the first contact is located, the plane in which the third contact is located and the plane in which the fifth contact is located.

[0072] When the chip is provided with four contacts arranged in the left-right direction, the first contact, the second contact, the third contact and the fourth contact are sequentially arranged from left to right in the left-right direction, at this time, the first contact and the fourth contact are end contacts, the second contact and the third contact are intermediate contacts, and the plane in which the first contact is located and the plane in which the fourth contact are both not coincident with the plane in which the second contact is located and the plane in which the third contact is located, preferably, the plane in which the first contact is located and the plane in which the fourth contact are both perpendicular to the plane in which the second contact is located and the plane in which the third contact is located.

[0073] As described above, when the plane in which the intermediate contact is located is arranged to be not coincident with the planes in which the two end contacts are located, especially perpendicular to each other, the stylus in the inkjet printer corresponding to the two end contacts exerts pressure on the two end contacts to enable the chip to be stably positioned, and the position accuracy requirement of the stylus in the inkjet printer corresponding to the intermediate contact can be reduced.

Claims

1. A chip for being fixed above a cartridge detachably mounted to an inkjet printer in a front-rear direction, the inkjet printer being provided with a plurality of contact pins arranged in a row in a left-right direction, the contact pins being movable in an up-down direction, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction including the above being perpendicular to each other, the chip comprising: a substrate; and a plurality of contact portions provided on the substrate, the contact portions being electrically connected to the contact pins provided in the inkjet printer when the cartridge is mounted to a predetermined position of the inkjet printer; in the left-right direction, the plurality of contact portions being divided into end contact portions located at left and right ends and at least one intermediate contact portion located between the two end contact portions, each contact portion being in contact with a corresponding contact pin to form a contact point; characterized in that: a first surface passes through a region including the contact point located in any one of the two end contact portions; a second surface passes through a region including the contact point located in the at least one intermediate contact portion; the chip further comprises a limiting groove provided on the substrate, the limiting groove being recessed downward from a plane on which the at least one end contact portion is located and having a first side surface facing the rear direction, a second side surface facing the right direction, and a third side surface facing the left direction, the second side surface and the third side surface being parallel to each other, the first side surface being perpendicular to both the second side surface and the third side surface, the at least one intermediate contact portion being provided in the limiting groove; or the chip further comprises a connecting platform protruding from a plane on which the at least one end contact portion is located, the at least one intermediate contact portion being provided on a surface of the connecting platform facing the above or on a surface of the connecting platform facing the left-right direction; according to the position of the contact point in the intermediate contact portion, the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other or perpendicular to each other, and when the chip is in contact with the contact pins, the contact pins apply forces to the two end contact portions in the same direction; when the end contact portions are subjected to downward forces applied by the contact pins and the intermediate contact portion is subjected to a forward force applied by the contact pins, the first surface and the second surface are perpendicular to each other; when the end contact portions and the intermediate contact portion are both subjected to downward forces applied by the contact pins, the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other; the at least one intermediate contact portion is provided on the first side surface, and the first surface and the second surface are perpendicular to each other; the limiting groove further comprises a fourth side surface facing the above, the first side surface, the second side surface, and the third side surface being perpendicular to the fourth side surface at the same time, the at least one intermediate contact portion being provided on the fourth side surface, and the first surface and the second surface being parallel to each other; in the front-rear direction, the chip further comprises a guide groove arranged adjacent to the limiting groove, the guide groove being recessed downward from a plane on which the at least one end contact portion is located, and the at least one intermediate contact portion being provided on the guide groove; the two end contact portions located in the left-right direction are symmetrically provided with respect to the intermediate contact portion; the chip is provided with a plurality of fixed portions, the shapes of the plurality of fixed portions being different from each other in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction; in the front-rear direction, the contact point formed in the intermediate contact portion does not exceed the range of the end contact portion. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2. The chip according to claim 1, characterized in that ​ 3. The chip of claim 1, wherein ​ 4. The chip of claim 1, wherein ​ 5. The chip of claim 1, wherein ​ 6. The chip of claim 1, wherein ​ 7. The chip of claim 1, wherein ​ 8. Ink cartridge, characterized in that The ink cartridge includes a case containing ink, an ink outlet portion located at the front of the case, and the chip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, the chip being fixedly mounted on the case, in the up-down direction, the ink outlet portion being located below the case, and the chip being located above the case.

9. The ink cartridge of claim 8, wherein, The ink cartridge further includes a detection portion provided on the case, in the front-rear direction, the chip being located adjacent to the detection portion, and the inkjet printer determining whether the ink cartridge is installed, or the type of the installed ink cartridge, based on a signal detected by the sensor provided therein from the detection portion.

10. The ink cartridge of claim 9, wherein The detection portion is a plate-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction, in the left-right direction, the size of the detection portion is not less than the size of the intermediate contact portion.

11. The ink cartridge of claim 9, wherein A plane L1 passes through the center of the intermediate contact portion in the left-right direction, a plane L2 passes through the center of the detection portion in the left-right direction, and the plane L1 and the plane L2 are parallel to each other and do not coincide with each other.

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