Ink cartridge chips, ink cartridges and inkjet printing equipment

Abstract

This invention provides an ink cartridge chip, an ink cartridge, and an inkjet printing device. The ink cartridge chip is detachably mounted onto an ink cartridge, which has an ink outlet at its lower end. The ink cartridge chip includes a substrate, with multiple communication terminals on a first surface and a grounding terminal on a second surface. The first and second surfaces are located on opposite sides of the substrate. When the ink cartridge chip is mounted onto the ink cartridge, the communication terminals and the grounding terminal are located on the same side of the center line of the ink outlet. The ink cartridge has the aforementioned ink cartridge chip. The inkjet printing device includes a body, a main control circuit board, and a print carriage. The print carriage has a stylus holder with styluses on both sides. One or more of the aforementioned ink cartridges are installed within the inkjet printing device. This invention prevents ink from dripping onto the grounding contact and reduces the area of ​​the ink cartridge chip, thus lowering the production cost of the ink cartridge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of inkjet printing, specifically to an ink cartridge chip, an ink cartridge having such an ink cartridge chip, and an inkjet printing device equipped with such an ink cartridge. Background Technology

[0002] Printing equipment, as a common office tool, provides great convenience for modern offices. Common printing equipment is divided into inkjet printers and laser printers. Inkjet printers use ink cartridges containing ink as consumable containers to spray ink onto paper to form the text or pattern to be printed on the paper; laser printers use toner cartridges containing toner as consumable containers to form the text or pattern to be printed on the medium.

[0003] See Figure 1 A color inkjet printing device has a housing 11. Figure 1 The inkjet printer shown omits the tray of the housing 11. The housing 11 houses the inkjet printer's mechanism 12 and includes a slide bar. The printing carriage 14 is mounted on a motor (…). Figure 1 Driven by the invisible component, it reciprocates along the slide bar. The printing carriage 14 contains the main control circuit board (…). Figure 1 (Not visible in the middle), the main control circuit board communicates with the mechanism 12 through the ribbon cable 13.

[0004] Multiple ink cartridges 15 are detachably mounted on the printing carriage 14, each containing ink of a different color. The structure of the ink cartridge 15 is as follows: Figure 2 As shown. The ink cartridge 15 has a housing 16, which forms a cavity for containing ink. The lower end of the cavity is provided with an ink outlet 17. The ink in the cavity flows out through the ink outlet 17 and supplies ink to the ink supply needle of the printing carriage 14.

[0005] A chip 18 is mounted on the outer wall of the cartridge body 16 of the ink cartridge 15. The chip 18 has a substrate, and one side of the substrate has multiple connection terminals 19 for electrical connection with the contact pins on the print carriage 14. The other side of the substrate has a memory (…). Figure 2 (Not visible in the image) Typically, this memory is a non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM or FLASH, which stores information related to the ink cartridge, including variable information and invariant information. Variable information is information that changes continuously with the printing operation, such as ink level, printing time, and number of sheets printed. Invariant information is information that does not change with the printing operation, such as ink cartridge model, applicable inkjet printer model, and ink color.

[0006] After ink cartridge 15 is installed into the print carriage 14 of the inkjet printer, the inkjet printer powers on the chip 18 and reads the data stored in the memory of the chip 18 to determine whether the ink cartridge 15 is the right model and whether there is enough ink remaining in the ink cartridge 15. Only after determining that the ink cartridge 15 is the right model and that there is enough ink in the ink cartridge 15 can the inkjet printer perform the printing operation.

[0007] See Figure 3 In a certain type of ink cartridge chip 18, a substrate 20 has five connection terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 on one surface. The five connection terminals include a power terminal, a ground terminal, a clock terminal, a data terminal, and a chip select terminal. Typically, the ground terminal 25 is relatively far from the other connection terminals.

[0008] See Figure 4 and Figure 5 The printing carriage 14 has multiple carriage units, such as carriage unit 51. Each color ink cartridge 15 corresponds to one carriage unit. The multiple carriage units have the same structure. The following description uses carriage unit 51 as an example. The printing carriage 14 is also provided with multiple pin holders 36. The carriage unit 51 has multiple pins on the pin holders 36, such as five pins. The pins are arranged in two rows. The two pins at the ends of the upper first row are pins 41 and 44, and the two pins at the ends of the lower second row are pins 45 and 49. The pins of the carriage unit 51 correspond one-to-one with the multiple connection terminals on the chip 18, and each pin contacts the corresponding connection terminal to achieve electrical connection.

[0009] A main control circuit board 33 is located at the rear of the printing carriage 14. The main control circuit board 33 has multiple contacts 34. A stylus holder 36 also has multiple stylus pins 38 on the side closest to the main control circuit board 33. The stylus pins on both sides of the stylus holder 36 correspond one-to-one, and the corresponding two stylus pins are electrically connected. The stylus pin 38 closest to the main control circuit board 33 abuts against the contacts 34 on the main control circuit board 33 and achieves electrical connection. The main control circuit board 33 also has a control chip and detection circuit (not shown in the figure) for communicating with the chips 18 on multiple different color ink cartridges.

[0010] However, since all the connection terminals on the ink cartridge chip are located on the same surface and are in electrical contact with multiple pins on the side of the print carriage 14 near the ink cartridge, including a ground terminal, the distance between the ground terminal and the other four connection terminals is relatively large, and the ground terminal is located on the substrate 20 near the ink outlet 17, when the ink cartridge is installed or removed, if ink or other foreign objects fall on the ground terminal, a large equivalent resistance will be generated between the ground pin on the inkjet printer and the ground terminal of the substrate 20, which will cause the voltage of the other connection terminals on the substrate 20, except for the power supply terminal, to drop.

[0011] For example, before ink drips onto the ground terminal, the low level of the clock terminal CLK is 0V and the high level is 3.3V. Once ink drips onto the ground terminal, the equivalent resistance formed by the ink is very large, and the voltage drop across other connection terminals may be as high as 0.5V. At this time, the low level of the clock terminal CLK will become -0.5V and the high level will become 2.8V. Since the memory directly receives the signal output from the clock terminal CLK, the reduced voltage signal input to the memory will damage the memory. Similarly, if the high and low level signals of the data terminal DAT are inconsistent with the standard level signals, it will also lead to errors in communication data, affecting the communication between the inkjet printer and the memory.

[0012] On the other hand, the large distance between the grounding terminal and other connection terminals results in a large area of ​​substrate 20, which increases the production cost of substrate 20. Summary of the Invention

[0013] To address the aforementioned problems, the first objective of this invention is to provide an ink cartridge chip that can prevent ink from dripping onto the grounding terminal.

[0014] A second objective of this invention is to provide an ink cartridge that effectively protects the memory and has a low production cost.

[0015] A third objective of this invention is to provide an inkjet printing device that uses the aforementioned ink cartridge.

[0016] To achieve the first objective of this invention, the ink cartridge chip provided by this invention is detachably mounted onto an ink cartridge, which is detachably mounted onto an inkjet printer. The ink cartridge has an ink outlet at its lower end. The ink cartridge chip includes a substrate, and a plurality of communication terminals are disposed on a first surface of the substrate. These communication terminals are electrically connected to a plurality of pins in the inkjet printer facing the substrate. A grounding terminal is also disposed on the substrate. When the ink cartridge chip is mounted onto the ink cartridge, both the communication terminals and the grounding terminal are located on the same side of the centerline of the ink outlet. The arrangement of the grounding terminal on the substrate ensures that when the ink cartridge is mounted onto or removed from the inkjet printer, the grounding terminal does not electrically contact any pin in the inkjet printer facing the substrate.

[0017] As can be seen from the above solution, the grounding terminal does not make electrical contact with any of the pins on the substrate-facing side of the inkjet printer. Even if ink drips onto the substrate, it will not cause a short circuit between the grounding terminal and the pins on the substrate-facing side of the inkjet printer. Since ink is most likely to drip between the substrate and the pins on the substrate-facing side of the inkjet printer during ink cartridge installation and removal, the solution of this invention can avoid the formation of a large equivalent resistance on the grounding terminal due to ink dripping.

[0018] A preferred embodiment is that the grounding terminal is disposed on the second surface of the substrate, and the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate; or the grounding terminal is disposed on the third surface of the substrate, and the third surface is adjacent to the first surface; or the grounding terminal is disposed on the first surface.

[0019] Therefore, when the grounding terminal is located on the second surface of the substrate, and the ink cartridge chip is installed into the ink cartridge, the second surface is a surface that is substantially parallel to the first surface of the front wall of the ink cartridge. This ensures that the grounding terminal is not exposed on the front surface of the ink cartridge chip, effectively preventing ink from dripping onto the grounding terminal. If the grounding terminal is located on either the first or second surface, it can be pre-connected to the grounding terminal via a flexible conductive connector. Even if ink drips between the grounding terminal and the spring contact, the presence of ink will not create significant resistance between the conductive connector and the grounding terminal, preventing voltage division.

[0020] To achieve the second objective mentioned above, the present invention provides an ink cartridge that can be detachably installed into an inkjet printer. The ink cartridge includes a housing with a cavity formed within it, containing ink. An ink outlet is located at the bottom of the cavity. An ink cartridge chip is disposed on the housing, and the ink cartridge chip includes a substrate. Multiple communication terminals are disposed on the first surface of the substrate, and these terminals can be electrically connected to multiple contact pins in the inkjet printer. A grounding terminal is also disposed on the substrate, and the arrangement of the grounding terminal on the substrate ensures that when the ink cartridge is installed into or removed from the inkjet printer, the grounding terminal does not make electrical contact with any contact pin facing the substrate side of the inkjet printer. The ink cartridge also includes a conductive connector, with a first end electrically connected to the grounding terminal and a second end electrically connected to the main control circuit board of the inkjet printer.

[0021] Preferably, the communication terminal and the grounding terminal are both located on the same side of the center line of the ink outlet; the grounding terminal is disposed on the second surface of the substrate, and the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate; or the grounding terminal is disposed on the third surface of the substrate, and the third surface is adjacent to the first surface; or the grounding terminal is disposed on the first surface.

[0022] As can be seen from the above scheme, the grounding terminal of the ink cartridge chip is electrically connected to the main control circuit board of the inkjet printer through a conductive connector, which can realize the function of electrically connecting to the grounding terminal of the inkjet printer and ensure that the grounding level of the ink cartridge chip is consistent with the grounding level of the inkjet printer.

[0023] A further option is to provide an elastic part at the first end of the conductive connector, which abuts against the grounding terminal.

[0024] It is evident that by abutting the grounding terminal with the elastic part, the connection between the conductive connector and the grounding terminal becomes more reliable.

[0025] A further option is that the inkjet printing device also includes a grounding pin, and the first surface of the substrate is electrically insulated from the grounding pin.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the ink cartridge chip is mounted on the front wall of the cartridge body, the first surface of the substrate is parallel to the front wall, and the first end of the conductive connector is located between the front wall and the second surface of the ink cartridge chip.

[0027] Therefore, the grounding terminal located on the second surface of the substrate is on the opposite side of the first surface and is not exposed on the front surface of the ink cartridge. The first end of the conductive connector is also not exposed on the front surface of the ink cartridge, which can effectively prevent ink from dripping onto the grounding terminal and also prevent the first end of the conductive connector from contacting the ink.

[0028] An alternative approach is to mount the ink cartridge chip on the front wall of the cartridge, with the first surface of the substrate parallel to the front wall, and the first end of the conductive connector abutting against the grounding terminal on the first or third surface.

[0029] A further embodiment is that the conductive connector includes a first abutting section, a connecting section, and a second abutting section arranged sequentially, with the first end located at the free end of the first abutting section and the second end located at the free end of the second abutting section; a fastening part is also provided on the front wall, and the connecting section is fastened in the fastening part.

[0030] As can be seen, by using the fastening part to fix the connecting section to the front wall of the ink cartridge, the conductive connector can be reliably fixed to the front wall of the ink cartridge, and the conductive connector is not easy to fall off the ink cartridge, which is beneficial to the installation and use of the ink cartridge.

[0031] A further embodiment is that the fastening part includes at least two fastening members, each fastening member including a cantilever and a latch located at the free end of the cantilever, and the latch on at least one fastening member is oriented differently from the latch on the other fastening member.

[0032] It can be seen that multiple different fastening parts fasten the conductive connector in different directions, making the fastening connection between the fastening parts and the conductive connector more reliable.

[0033] A further option is to provide a recessed groove on the front wall, with at least a portion of the first abutting section located within the recessed groove.

[0034] In this way, the first abutting section is not completely exposed on the outer surface of the front wall. The recessed groove protects the first abutting section and prevents it from being damaged. Furthermore, there is a certain distance between the bottom of the recessed groove and the second surface of the substrate, which allows the first abutting section to undergo elastic deformation and generate elastic force, making the electrical contact more stable.

[0035] A further improvement is to have a protrusion on the front wall, with the fastening part located on the protrusion. This fastening part ensures the conductive connector is more reliably mounted on the front wall of the ink cartridge, and the fastening part is less likely to detach from the cartridge.

[0036] A further option is that at least a portion of the first abutting section is attached to the surface of the protrusion.

[0037] Therefore, the protrusion protects the first contact section, preventing it from coming into contact with other components of the inkjet printer during cartridge installation and thus avoiding damage to the first contact section.

[0038] A further proposed solution is to install a chip mounting surface on the front wall, with the area of ​​the cartridge chip being smaller than the area of ​​the chip mounting surface.

[0039] As can be seen, the area of ​​the ink cartridge chip can be made very small. The first surface of the substrate only needs to include four communication terminals, all of which are located on the left side of the ink outlet, which helps to reduce the production cost of the ink cartridge chip.

[0040] To achieve the third objective mentioned above, the inkjet printing device provided by the present invention includes a body, a main control circuit board and a printing carriage are provided inside the body, a stylus holder is provided on the printing carriage, stylus pins are provided on both sides of the stylus holder of the printing carriage, and one or more ink cartridges are installed inside the inkjet printing device.

[0041] A preferred embodiment is that the second end of the conductive connector is inserted between the stylus holder and the main control circuit board.

[0042] In this way, the conductive connector can be electrically connected to the stylus on the stylus holder and the contacts on the main control circuit board, thereby realizing the electrical connection between the ground terminal of the ink cartridge chip and the ground terminal of the inkjet printer.

[0043] A further option is to provide a stylus support portion for the stylus holder, with a conductive connector extending from the first side of the stylus support portion to the second side.

[0044] As can be seen, the conductive connector can span the stylus support, allowing it to be smoothly installed onto the printing carriage, making the ink cartridge installation simple and convenient. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an existing inkjet printing device.

[0046] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of an existing ink cartridge.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of an existing ink cartridge chip.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a first-person exploded view of the print head stylus holder and main control circuit board of an existing inkjet printing device.

[0049] Figure 5 This is a second-view exploded view of the print head contact pin holder and main control circuit board of an existing inkjet printing device.

[0050] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention, the printing platen pin holder, and the main control circuit board.

[0051] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention, the printing plate stylus holder, and the main control circuit board.

[0052] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram from a first perspective of the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the structure of the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention from a first perspective.

[0054] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram from a second perspective of the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 11 This is an exploded view of the structure from a second perspective of the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 12 This is an exploded view of the ink cartridge chip structure in the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 13 This is a partially exploded enlarged view of the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 14 This is a structural diagram of the stylus holder, main control circuit board, and ink cartridge chip of the first embodiment of the inkjet printing device of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 15 This is an exploded view of the stylus holder, main control circuit board, and ink cartridge chip of the first embodiment of the inkjet printing device of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 16 This is a structural diagram of the second embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 17 yes Figure 16 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0062] Figure 18 This is an exploded view of the structure of the second embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 19 This is a structural diagram of the third embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0064] Figure 20 This is an exploded view of the structure of the third embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 21 This is an exploded view of the ink cartridge chip and conductive connector of the third embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention.

[0066] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0067] First embodiment:

[0068] The inkjet printing device in this embodiment includes a body, and a printing carriage is formed inside the body. See [link / reference] Figure 6 and Figure 7The ink cartridge 100 is detachably installed inside the printing carriage. Each ink cartridge 100 has a housing 110, which forms a cavity for containing ink. An ink outlet 118 communicating with the cavity is located at the bottom of the cavity, through which ink flows out. A handle 112 is provided at the upper end of the housing 110. Preferably, the handle 112 is an elastic handle that can be pressed and undergoes elastic deformation. Furthermore, an ink cartridge chip 130 is detachably installed on a front wall at the lower end of the housing 110.

[0069] The printing carriage is equipped with a stylus holder 160, with a main control circuit board 150 and an ink cartridge 100 respectively positioned on both sides of the stylus holder 160. Stylus pins are positioned on both sides of the stylus holder 160. Therefore, the ink cartridge chip 130 contacts the stylus pin 161 on the first side of the stylus holder 160, and the main control circuit board 150 contacts the stylus pin on the second side of the stylus holder 160. The stylus pins on both sides of the stylus holder 160 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and the corresponding two stylus pins are electrically connected to each other.

[0070] See Figures 8 to 12 The ink cartridge chip 130 has a substrate 131, which is generally rectangular. Four communication terminals 132 are disposed on a first surface of the substrate 131, and a ground terminal 136 is disposed on a second surface of the substrate 131. In this embodiment, the first and second surfaces are located on opposite sides of the substrate 131. Figure 11 and Figure 12 As can be seen, the first surface of the substrate 131 is substantially parallel to the front wall 111 of the ink cartridge 100. After the ink cartridge chip 130 is installed into the cartridge body 110, the first surface is exposed to the front wall 111 of the ink cartridge 100. The second surface of the substrate 110 is closer to the rear wall of the ink cartridge 100. After the ink cartridge chip 130 is installed into the cartridge body 110, the second surface is not exposed to the front wall 111 of the ink cartridge 100. Therefore, the grounding terminal 136 is not exposed to the surface of the ink cartridge 100.

[0071] The four communication terminals 132 on the first surface are the power terminal VCC, the clock terminal CLK, the data terminal DAT, and the chip select terminal CS. These four terminals are arranged in two rows, and each terminal directly contacts the contact pin 161 on the first side of the contact pin holder 160; that is, the contact pin 161 abuts against the four communication terminals 132. Additionally, a memory is also disposed on the substrate 131. The four communication terminals 132 and the ground terminal 136 are electrically connected to the memory, providing power, clock signals, etc., for its operation. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first surface can also have fewer or more communication terminals. For example, a battery can be disposed on the ink cartridge chip 130, or power can be drawn from the clock terminal CLK and the chip select terminal CS, thus eliminating the need for the power terminal VCC. Alternatively, the ink cartridge chip 130 can identify whether the current communication session has ended based on the communication content, thus eliminating the need for the chip select terminal CS. This embodiment does not limit the number of communication terminals on the first surface. Furthermore, from... Figure 10 As can be seen, after the ink cartridge chip 130 is installed on the ink cartridge 100, from Figure 8 As can be seen, all communication terminals 132 and grounding terminals 136 of the substrate 131 are located on the same side of the center line L1 of the ink outlet 118, so the area of ​​the substrate 131 can be made smaller.

[0072] The substrate 131 is located below the handle 112. Multiple limiting members 138 are provided on the front wall 111 of the ink cartridge 100, and multiple limiting grooves 133 are correspondingly provided on the substrate 131. Each limiting member 138 matches one limiting groove 133. When the ink cartridge chip 130 is installed into the cartridge body 110, the matching of the multiple limiting members 138 with the multiple limiting grooves 133 fixes the substrate 131 in a designated position on the front wall, preventing displacement of the substrate 131 on the front wall and ensuring accurate contact between the four communication terminals 132 and the contact pins 161.

[0073] Since the grounding terminal 136 is located on the second surface of the substrate 131, it does not directly contact the stylus of the stylus holder 160. To address the issue of the grounding terminal 136 receiving the grounding level output from the inkjet printing device, this embodiment includes a conductive connector 140. The conductive connector 140 is made of metal and has a certain degree of elasticity. (See also...) Figure 12 The conductive connector 140 includes a first abutting section 141, a connecting section 142, and a second abutting section 143, wherein the connecting section 142 is located between the first abutting section 141 and the second abutting section 143.

[0074] See Figure 13The lower end of the first abutment section 141 is a free end, and an elastic part 145 is provided on the free end. The elastic part 145 is the first end of the conductive connector 140, that is, the first end of the conductive connector 140 is the free end of the first abutment section 141, and the elastic part 145 abuts against the grounding terminal 136. Figure 13 As can be seen, the elastic portion 145 is curved and capable of elastic deformation, facilitating the installation of the conductive connector 140. Furthermore, the first abutment section 141 is also provided with an extension section 146, which is located above the elastic portion 145 and between the connecting section 142 and the elastic portion 145. In this embodiment, the extension section 146 extends horizontally, that is, the extension direction of the extension section 146 is perpendicular to the first surface of the substrate 131.

[0075] When the conductive connector 140 is installed into the ink cartridge 100, the first abutment section 141 is inserted into the side of the substrate 131 near the front wall of the ink cartridge 100. To facilitate the installation of the first abutment section 141, a recessed groove 115 is provided on the front wall 111. The recessed groove 115 is recessed from the surface of the front wall 111 into the cartridge body 110, forming a recessed groove. The lower end of the first abutment section 141 is inserted into the recessed groove 115. In this way, the lower end of the first abutment section 141 will not be exposed on the outer surface of the ink cartridge 100.

[0076] See Figure 14 and Figure 15 A main control circuit board 150 of the inkjet printer is disposed on the second side of the stylus holder 160. Multiple contacts 151, such as ground contacts, are disposed on the surface of the main control circuit board 150 near the stylus holder 160. A second abutment section 143 is electrically connected to the ground contacts. Specifically, the lower end of the second abutment section 143 is a free end, forming the second end of the conductive connector 140. It is provided with an elastic portion 147, which is bent and capable of elastic deformation, and abuts against the ground contact. In this way, the conductive connector 140 achieves electrical connection between the ground terminal 136 on the substrate 131 and the ground contact of the main control circuit board 150, ensuring that the voltage level of the ground terminal 136 on the substrate 131 is consistent with the voltage level of the ground contact of the main control circuit board 150, thereby ensuring that the ground voltage level of the ink cartridge chip 130 is consistent with the ground voltage level of the inkjet printer. In addition, in this embodiment, there is no electrical connection between the first surface of the substrate 131 and the grounding pin of the inkjet printing device, that is, the first surface of the substrate 131 is electrically insulated from the grounding pin of the inkjet printing device.

[0077] In this embodiment, the conductive connector 140 spans the first and second sides of the stylus holder 160. Specifically, the first abutment section 141 is located on the first side of the stylus holder 160, the second abutment section 143 is located on the second side of the stylus holder 160, and the connecting section 142 is located above the stylus support portion 162 of the stylus holder 160. The stylus holder 160 has a connecting portion 163 on one side of the stylus support portion 162, and the connecting portion 163 is close to the second side of the stylus holder 160. The main control circuit board 150 is located below the connecting portion 163. Thus, when the ink cartridge is installed into or removed from the inkjet printer, the grounding terminal 136 will not make electrical contact with any stylus on the side of the print carriage facing the substrate 131. Furthermore, through the connection of the conductive connector 140, the grounding terminal 136 only makes electrical contact with the stylus on the side of the print carriage facing away from the substrate 131, or directly with the grounding contact on the main control circuit board 150 of the inkjet printer.

[0078] An installation gap 164 is formed between the stylus support portion 162 and the connecting portion 163. The second abutment section 143 can pass through the installation gap 164 and be inserted between the main control circuit board 150 and the stylus support portion 162. Since the styluses on both sides of the stylus holder 160 are mounted on the stylus support portion 162, the stylus on the second side of the stylus support portion 162 can connect with the contacts on the main control circuit board 150. When the second abutment section 143 is inserted between the main control circuit board 150 and the stylus support portion 162, the second abutment section 143 will be clamped between the stylus and the ground contact. Since the stylus protrudes outward from the stylus on the second side of the stylus support portion 162 and matches the shape of the elastic portion 147, the stylus provides support to the elastic portion 147 and makes the elastic portion 147 firmly abut against the ground contact.

[0079] Before the ink cartridge 100 is installed onto the printing carriage, the conductive connector 140 needs to be fixed to the ink cartridge 100. To secure the conductive connector 140, this embodiment provides a protrusion 120 on the front wall 111 of the ink cartridge 100. The protrusion 120 is located below the handle 112 but above the substrate 131. The protrusion 120 protrudes outward from the front wall 111 of the cartridge body 110, and a fastening part 121 is provided on the outer wall of the protrusion 120. The fastening part 121 includes two fastening elements 122. See also... Figure 13 Each fastening member 122 has a cantilever 123, and a latch 124 is provided at the free end of the cantilever 123. In this embodiment, the latches 124 of the two fastening members 122 face different directions, with the latches 124 of one fastening member 122 facing downwards and the latches 124 of the other fastening member 122 facing upwards. The connecting segment 142 of the conductive connector 140 is fixed inside the fastening part 121. Specifically, the connecting segment 142 is fastened by the latches 124 of the two fastening members 122 from two different directions, so that the connecting segment 142 fits against the outer wall of the protrusion 120.

[0080] In addition, the extension 146 of the conductive connector 140 is located below the protrusion 120 and fits against the lower surface of the protrusion 120. The protrusion 120 protects the extension 146 and can prevent other parts of the inkjet printer from scratching the extension 146 during the installation of the ink cartridge 100.

[0081] See Figure 11 A chip mounting surface 116 is provided on the front wall 111 of the cartridge body 110, and the chip mounting surface 116 is located below the protrusion 120. Since only four communication terminals 132 are provided on the first surface of the ink cartridge chip 130, and the four communication terminals 132 and the ground terminal 136 on the second surface are all located to the left of the center line L1 of the ink outlet 17, the area of ​​the ink cartridge chip 130 can be made very small, so that the area of ​​the ink cartridge chip 130 is smaller than the area of ​​the chip mounting surface 116, which can reduce the production cost of the ink cartridge chip 130.

[0082] Because the grounding terminal 136 is located on the second surface of the ink cartridge chip 130, it is not visible on the outer surface of the ink cartridge 100 after the ink cartridge chip 130 is installed in the housing 110. Thus, even if ink drips onto the substrate 131, it will only drip onto the communication terminal 132 and is unlikely to drip onto the grounding terminal 136. Therefore, the grounding terminal 136 is less likely to come into contact with ink, ensuring that the grounding level received by the memory is not divided. This effectively avoids damage to the memory caused by receiving a negative voltage signal, and also avoids the problem of the memory incorrectly recognizing signals sent by the inkjet printer due to excessively low voltage for clock signals, data signals, etc. Furthermore, since the grounding terminal 136 on the second surface of the ink cartridge chip 130 is directly in contact with the grounding contact of the main control circuit board 150 via the conductive connector 140, and not with the grounding contact of the contact pin 161 on the first side of the contact pin holder 160, even if ink drips onto the grounding contact of the contact pin 161 on the first side of the contact pin holder 160, it will not cause damage to the memory. Due to the shielding effect of the stylus holder 160, ink has difficulty passing through the stylus holder 160 and falling onto the grounding contact of the main control circuit board 150 behind it. Therefore, the problem caused by excessive resistance to ground in the memory of the ink cartridge chip 130 can be greatly reduced.

[0083] In this embodiment, the elastic portion 145 of the conductive connector 140 contacts the grounding terminal 136 on the back side of the substrate 131. To ensure the contact stability between the elastic portion 145 of the conductive connector 140 and the grounding terminal 136, when the ink cartridge chip 130 is installed onto the ink cartridge 100, it is necessary to overcome the elastic force of the conductive connector 140 and press the elastic portion 145 of the conductive connector 140 downwards a certain distance. However, due to the elastic force generated by the elastic portion 145, the ink cartridge chip 130 will be pushed upwards. If the heat welding strength of the limiting member 138 is insufficient, there is a risk that the ink cartridge chip 130 will fall off the ink cartridge 100.

[0084] Second embodiment:

[0085] This embodiment of the inkjet printing equipment includes a body, within which a printing carriage is formed. Ink cartridges are detachably installed within the printing carriage. (See [reference]). Figure 16 and Figure 17 Each ink cartridge 200 has a housing 210 that forms a cavity for containing ink. An ink outlet communicating with the cavity is located at the bottom of the cavity. A handle 212 is provided at the upper end of the housing 210. Preferably, the handle 212 is an elastic handle that can be pressed and elastically deformed. Furthermore, an ink cartridge chip 230 is detachably mounted on a front wall at the lower end of the housing 210.

[0086] The cartridge chip 230 has a substrate 231, on which four communication terminals 232 are disposed. Unlike the first embodiment, see [link to embodiment]. Figure 17 and Figure 18 In this embodiment, the grounding terminal 236 is also disposed on the first surface of the substrate 231. Furthermore, the four communication terminals 232 and the grounding terminal 236 are all located on the same side of the ink outlet centerline L2.

[0087] In addition, the ink cartridge 200 is provided with a conductive connector 240, which is made of metal and includes a first abutment section 241, a connecting section 242, and a second abutment section 243, wherein the connecting section 242 is located between the first abutment section 241 and the second abutment section 243. The lower end of the first abutment section 241 is a free end, and an elastic part 245 is provided on the free end. The elastic part 245 is the first end of the conductive connector 240, abuts against the grounding terminal 236, and the elastic part 245 is bent. By providing the conductive connector 240, when the ink cartridge is installed into or removed from the inkjet printer, the grounding terminal 236 will not make electrical contact with any of the contact pins on the print carriage facing the substrate 231.

[0088] A protrusion 220 is provided on the front wall of the ink cartridge 200, and the protrusion 220 is located below the handle 212. A fastening part 221 is provided on the protrusion 220, and the fastening part 221 includes two fastening members for fastening and fixing the connecting section 242, so that the connecting section 242 fits against the outer wall of the protrusion 220.

[0089] When the conductive connector 240 is installed on the ink cartridge 200, the first abutting section 241 is inserted into the side of the substrate 231 near the front wall of the ink cartridge 200, the second abutting section 243 is located on the second side of the stylus holder, and the connecting section 242 is located above the stylus support of the stylus holder.

[0090] Because the ink outlet of the ink cartridge is completely sealed with a film before the ink cartridge is installed into the inkjet printer to prevent ink leakage during production and transportation, ink dripping onto the ink cartridge chip 230 mainly occurs after the ink cartridge 200 is installed into the inkjet printer. In this embodiment, the conductive connector 240 is fixed to the cartridge body 210 before the ink cartridge 200 is installed onto the printing carriage, that is, the conductive connector 240 is fixed by the fastening part 221. At this time, the elastic part 245 of the conductive connector 240 is in close contact with the grounding terminal 236. Thus, even if ink drips onto the elastic part 245 of the conductive connector 240 and the grounding terminal 236, because the elastic part 245 of the conductive connector 240 and the grounding terminal 236 are in close contact, a large resistance will not be formed between the elastic part 245 of the conductive connector 240 and the grounding terminal 236 due to the presence of ink, and it will not cause voltage division to other connection terminals.

[0091] Compared to the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the elastic portion 245 of the conductive connector 240 abuts against the first surface of the substrate 231, which can prevent the ink cartridge chip 230 from falling off.

[0092] Third embodiment:

[0093] This embodiment of the inkjet printing equipment includes a body, within which a printing carriage is formed. Ink cartridges are detachably installed within the printing carriage. (See [reference]). Figure 19 and Figure 20 Each ink cartridge 300 has a housing 310 that forms a cavity for containing ink. An ink outlet communicating with the cavity is located at the bottom of the cavity. A handle 312 is provided at the upper end of the housing 310. Preferably, the handle 312 is an elastic handle that can be pressed and elastically deformed. Furthermore, an ink cartridge chip 330 is detachably mounted on a front wall at the lower end of the housing 310.

[0094] The ink cartridge chip 330 has a substrate 331, on which four communication terminals 332 are disposed. Unlike the first embodiment, see [link to embodiment]. Figure 21In this embodiment, the grounding terminal 336 is not disposed on the second surface, but on the third surface of the substrate 331. The third surface is adjacent to the first surface. In this embodiment, the third surface is the top wall of the substrate 331. Of course, in other embodiments, the third surface may also be one of the two side walls or the bottom wall of the substrate 331. Furthermore, the four communication terminals 332 and the grounding terminal 336 are all located on the same side of the ink outlet centerline L3.

[0095] In addition, the ink cartridge 300 is also provided with a conductive connector 340, which is made of metal and includes a first abutment section 341, a connecting section 342, and a second abutment section 343, wherein the connecting section 342 is located between the first abutment section 341 and the second abutment section 343. The lower end of the first abutment section 341 is a free end, and an elastic part 345 is provided on the free end. The elastic part 345 is the first end of the conductive connector 340, abuts against the grounding terminal 336, and the elastic part 345 is bent.

[0096] A protrusion 320 is provided on the front wall of the ink cartridge 300, and the protrusion 320 is located below the handle 312. A fastening part 321 is provided on the protrusion 320, and the fastening part 321 includes two fastening members for fastening and fixing the connecting section 342, so that the connecting section 342 fits against the outer wall of the protrusion 320.

[0097] When the conductive connector 340 is installed into the ink cartridge 300, the first abutting section 341 is inserted into the side of the substrate 331 near the front wall of the ink cartridge 300, the second abutting section 343 is located on the second side of the stylus holder, and the connecting section 342 is located above the stylus support portion of the stylus holder. By providing the conductive connector 340, when the ink cartridge is installed into or removed from the inkjet printer, the grounding terminal 336 will not make electrical contact with any stylus on the print carriage facing the substrate 331.

[0098] Since ink dripping onto the ink cartridge chip 330 mainly occurs after the ink cartridge 300 is installed into the inkjet printer, in this embodiment, the conductive connector 340 is already fixed to the cartridge body 310 before the ink cartridge 300 is installed into the printing carriage. That is, the conductive connector 340 is fixed by the fastening part 321. At this time, the elastic part 345 of the conductive connector 340 is in close contact with the grounding terminal 336. Thus, even if ink drips onto the elastic part 345 of the conductive connector 340 and the grounding terminal 336, because the elastic part 345 of the conductive connector 340 is in close contact with the grounding terminal 336, a large resistance will not be formed between the elastic part 345 of the conductive connector 340 and the grounding terminal 336 due to the presence of ink, and this will not cause voltage drop across other connection terminals.

[0099] Compared to the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the elastic portion 345 of the conductive connector 340 abuts against the top of the substrate 331, which can prevent the ink cartridge chip 330 from falling off the cartridge body 310.

[0100] Finally, it should be emphasized that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the number of communication terminals provided on the first surface of the substrate can be further reduced, for example, to less than four; or, the number of fastening members provided on the surface of the protrusion can be one or more; or, the conductive connector can be made of conductive plastic or the like. These changes should also be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

[0101] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. The above content is only for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of this invention and is not intended to limit this invention. Any modifications and changes in the form and details of the implementation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical scope disclosed in this invention, and all such modifications and changes should be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge chip, removably mounted on an ink cartridge, the ink cartridge being removably mounted on an inkjet printer, the ink cartridge having an ink outlet at its lower end, the ink cartridge chip comprising: Memory, and A substrate, wherein a plurality of communication terminals are disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and the plurality of communication terminals are in electrical contact with a plurality of styluses in the inkjet printing device facing the substrate. Its features are: The substrate is also provided with a grounding terminal. When the ink cartridge chip is installed on the ink cartridge, the communication terminal and the grounding terminal are both located on the same side of the center line of the ink outlet. The grounding terminal is arranged on the substrate such that when the ink cartridge is installed into or removed from the inkjet printer, the grounding terminal does not make electrical contact with any of the contact pins on the side of the inkjet printer facing the substrate. The ink cartridge has a chip mounting surface on its casing, and the area of ​​the ink cartridge chip is smaller than the area of ​​the chip mounting surface.

2. The ink cartridge chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grounding terminal is disposed on the second surface of the substrate, wherein the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate; or The grounding terminal is disposed on the third surface of the substrate, and the third surface is adjacent to the first surface; or The grounding terminal is disposed on the first surface.

3. An ink cartridge, removably installable into an inkjet printer, the ink cartridge comprising: The box body has a cavity formed inside, which contains ink, and an ink outlet is provided at the bottom of the cavity; The cartridge body is provided with an ink cartridge chip, which includes a substrate. A plurality of communication terminals are provided on a first surface of the substrate. The plurality of communication terminals can be electrically connected to a plurality of contact pins in the inkjet printing device facing the substrate. Its features are: A grounding terminal is provided on the substrate. The arrangement of the grounding terminal on the substrate is such that when the ink cartridge is installed into or removed from the inkjet printing equipment, the grounding terminal does not make electrical contact with any contact pin on the side of the inkjet printing equipment facing the substrate. The ink cartridge also includes a conductive connector, the first end of which is electrically connected to the grounding terminal, and the second end of which is electrically connected to the main control circuit board of the inkjet printer. The cartridge body has a chip mounting surface, and the area of ​​the ink cartridge chip is smaller than the area of ​​the chip mounting surface.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The grounding terminal is disposed on the second surface of the substrate, wherein the first surface and the second surface are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate; or The grounding terminal is disposed on the third surface of the substrate, and the third surface is adjacent to the first surface; or The grounding terminal is disposed on the first surface.

5. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first end of the conductive connector is provided with an elastic part, which abuts against the grounding terminal.

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inkjet printing equipment also includes a grounding pin, and the first surface of the substrate is electrically insulated from the grounding pin.

7. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The ink cartridge chip is mounted on the front wall of the cartridge body, the first surface of the substrate is parallel to the front wall, and the first end of the conductive connector is located between the front wall and the second surface of the ink cartridge chip.

8. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The ink cartridge chip is mounted on the front wall of the cartridge body, the first surface of the substrate is parallel to the front wall, and the first end of the conductive connector abuts against the grounding terminal on the first surface or the third surface.

9. The ink cartridge according to claim 7, characterized in that: The conductive connector includes a first abutting section, a connecting section, and a second abutting section arranged sequentially, with the first end located at the free end of the first abutting section and the second end located at the free end of the second abutting section; The front wall is also provided with a fastening part, and the connecting section is fastened in the fastening part.

10. The ink cartridge according to claim 9, characterized in that: The fastening part includes at least two fastening members, each of the fastening members including a cantilever and a buckle located at the free end of the cantilever, and the buckle on at least one of the fastening members is oriented differently from the buckle on the other fastening member.

11. The ink cartridge according to claim 9, characterized in that: A recessed groove is provided on the front wall, and at least a portion of the first abutting section is located within the recessed groove.

12. The ink cartridge according to claim 9, characterized in that: The front wall is provided with a protrusion, and the fastening part is provided on the protrusion.

13. The ink cartridge according to claim 12, characterized in that: At least a portion of the first abutting segment adheres to the surface of the protrusion.

14. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that: The chip mounting surface is located on the front wall.

15. An inkjet printing device, comprising a body, wherein a main control circuit board and a printing carriage are disposed within the body, a stylus holder is disposed on the printing carriage, and styluses are disposed on both sides of the stylus holder of the printing carriage, characterized in that: The inkjet printing device contains one or more ink cartridges as described in any one of claims 3 to 14.

16. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that: The second end of the conductive connector is inserted between the stylus holder and the main control circuit board.

17. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that: The stylus holder is provided with a stylus support portion, and the conductive connector extends from the first side of the stylus support portion to the second side.

Images