Ink Cartridge

Abstract

The present application provides an ink cartridge, comprising: a housing having an ink storage chamber; a face cover covering the housing to seal the ink storage chamber, and an air vent communicating the ink storage chamber with the outside is provided on the face cover; a seal, at least a part of the seal extends into the interior of the air vent to seal the air vent, and a flow channel is provided on the seal, and a first end of the flow channel communicates with the ink storage chamber; wherein, a blocking portion is provided on the face cover, and the seal is configured to be rotatable relative to the face cover; when the ink cartridge is in a first state, the blocking portion blocks the flow channel; when the ink cartridge is in a second state, the flow channel communicates with the outside. When the ink cartridge is not in use, the ink cartridge can be in the first state, and the flow channel on the seal is blocked by the blocking portion, so as to prevent the ink storage chamber from communicating with the outside, ensuring the ink volume of the ink cartridge. When the ink cartridge is in use, the user can rotate the seal to change the ink cartridge from the first state to the second state. At this time, the ink storage chamber communicates with the outside through the flow channel on the seal.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Image forming apparatuses include laser printers and inkjet printers. An ink cartridge is a component in an inkjet printer for storing ink. The inkjet printer is provided with an installation portion, and the ink cartridge is detachably installed in the installation portion. Ink is provided to the printer through the ink cartridge, enabling the printer to form the text or pattern to be printed on a recording medium such as paper.

[0003] In the related art, the ink cartridge includes a housing and a face cover covering the housing. An air vent communicating with the inside of the ink cartridge is provided on the face cover. Through the air vent, the inside of the ink cartridge communicates with the atmosphere. When the ink is consumed, air can enter the ink cartridge through the air vent to balance the air pressure inside and outside the ink cartridge, ensuring that the ink can flow smoothly from the ink cartridge during printing.

[0004] However, the air vent is in an always-open state, and the ink in the ink cartridge is likely to volatilize from the air vent, reducing the ink volume in the ink cartridge and affecting the printing quality and the number of printed pages. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on this, the present application provides an ink cartridge to solve the problem that the ink in the ink cartridge in the related art is likely to volatilize from the air vent, reducing the ink volume in the ink cartridge.

[0006] The ink cartridge provided by the present application includes:

[0007] A housing having an ink storage cavity;

[0008] A face cover covering the housing to seal the ink storage cavity. An air vent communicating the ink storage cavity with the outside is provided on the face cover;

[0009] A seal, at least part of which extends into the inside of the air vent to seal the air vent. A flow channel is provided on the seal, and the first end of the flow channel communicates with the ink storage cavity;

[0010] Wherein, a blocking portion is provided on the face cover, and the seal is configured to be rotatable relative to the face cover;

[0011] When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the blocking portion blocks the flow channel;

[0012] When the ink cartridge is in the second state, the flow channel communicates with the outside.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the seal is made of an elastic material. The seal includes a sealing post and a cover body mounted at one end of the sealing post. The sealing post extends into the interior of the air guide hole and blocks the air guide hole. The flow channel includes an air guide groove provided on the sealing post and a first limiting groove provided on the cover body. The air guide groove communicates with the first limiting groove. The blocking portion is a first protrusion provided on the face cover, and the first limiting groove is configured to allow the first protrusion to extend therein.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the air guide groove is spirally arranged around the axis of the sealing post, and the second end of the air guide groove extends to the side wall of the first limiting groove; and / or,

[0015] The cover body includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion arranged side by side. The first connecting portion is located at the end of the sealing post away from the ink storage chamber. In the axial direction of the sealing post, the projection of the first connecting portion coincides with the projection of the sealing post. When the ink cartridge is in the second state, the first protrusion disengages from the second connecting portion.

[0016] In a possible implementation, a limiting portion is provided inside the air guide hole. A through hole communicating the ink storage chamber and the air guide hole is provided on the limiting portion, and the limiting portion abuts against the end of the sealing post extending into the interior of the air guide hole.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the sealing post includes a first section and a second section arranged coaxially. One end of the first section away from the second section is connected to the cover body. The end of the flow channel away from the cover body extends to the side wall of the second section, and there is a gap between the side wall of the second section and the hole wall of the air guide hole;

[0018] A groove communicating the through hole and the air guide hole is provided on the side of the limiting portion facing the sealing post.

[0019] In a possible implementation, a first channel is provided inside the sealing post. One end of the first channel extends to the end of the sealing post facing the ink storage chamber and communicates with the ink storage chamber, and the other end of the first channel communicates with the air guide groove.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the first protrusion is a long strip-shaped structure protruding from the face cover. When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the extending direction of the long strip-shaped structure is parallel to the extending direction of the first limiting groove; one end of the long strip-shaped structure extends to the edge of the air guide hole.

[0021] In a possible implementation, on the rotation direction of the seal, the two side walls opposite to the first protrusion are respectively inclined with respect to the face cover, and the two side walls of the first limiting groove are respectively inclined with respect to the face cover; when the ink cartridge is in the first state, the two side walls opposite to the first protrusion are respectively in close contact with the two side walls of the first limiting groove.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the first protrusion is arranged in an arc shape around the axis of the air guide hole, the first limiting groove is arranged in an arc shape around the axis of the sealing column, both ends of the first limiting groove respectively extend to both sides of the cover body along the rotation direction of the sealing member, the flow channel further includes a second channel arranged on the side of the cover body facing the face cover, the height of the second channel is less than or equal to the height of the first protrusion, one end of the second channel communicates with the air guide groove, the other end of the second channel extends to the side surface of the cover body, and the second channel and the first limiting groove are arranged in a crossed manner.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the sealing member is made of an elastic material. The sealing member includes a sealing column and a cover body installed at one end of the sealing column. The sealing column extends into the interior of the air guide hole to block the air guide hole. A second protrusion is arranged on the surface of the cover body facing the face cover. The flow channel includes an air guide groove arranged on the sealing column and a recess arranged on the side wall of the second protrusion. The air guide groove communicates with the recess, and the blocking portion is a second limiting groove arranged on the face cover.

[0024] When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the second protrusion extends into the second limiting groove, and the side wall of the second limiting groove blocks the recess.

[0025] When the ink cartridge is in the second state, the second protrusion disengages from the second limiting groove.

[0026] The ink cartridge provided in this application includes a housing, a face cover, and a sealing member. The sealing member at least partially extends into the interior of the air guide hole to block the air guide hole. A flow channel is arranged on the sealing member, and the first end of the flow channel communicates with the ink storage cavity of the housing. A blocking portion is arranged on the face cover. The sealing member can rotate relative to the face cover, and the flow channel on the sealing member can be blocked by the blocking portion on the face cover. In this way, when the ink cartridge is not in use, the ink cartridge can be in the first state, and the flow channel on the sealing member is blocked by the blocking portion to prevent the ink storage cavity from communicating with the outside, that is, to prevent the ink cartridge from leaking air, ensuring that the ink in the ink cartridge will not volatilize from the air guide hole and ensuring the ink volume of the ink cartridge. When the ink cartridge is in use, the user can rotate the sealing member to change the ink cartridge from the first state to the second state. At this time, the ink storage cavity communicates with the outside through the flow channel on the sealing member, and the air pressure inside and outside the ink storage cavity can be balanced through the flow channel, enabling the ink in the ink storage cavity to flow out smoothly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the ink cartridge provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 Schematic structural diagram of the ink cartridge provided by the embodiment of the present application after removing the seal;

[0030] Figure 3 Schematic structural diagram of the seal provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 4 Schematic diagram showing the connection between the seal and the face cover when the ink cartridge provided by the embodiment of the present application is in the first state;

[0032] Figure 5 Schematic diagram showing the connection between the seal and the face cover when the ink cartridge provided by the embodiment of the present application is in the second state;

[0033] Figure 6 is Figure 2 Partial enlarged schematic diagram of the dashed box in;

[0034] Figure 7 Cross-sectional view of another seal provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 Partial enlarged schematic diagram of another face cover provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 9 Schematic structural diagram of another ink cartridge provided by the embodiment of the present application after removing the seal;

[0037] Figure 10 Schematic structural diagram of yet another seal provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0039] 100 - housing;

[0040] 200 - face cover; 210 - air vent; 220 - first protrusion; 230 - limiting portion; 231 - through hole; 232 - groove;

[0041] 300 - seal; 310 - flow channel; 311 - air guide groove; 312 - first limiting groove; 320 - sealing column; 321 - first section; 322 - second section; 323 - first channel; 330 - cover body; 331 - first connecting portion; 332 - second connecting portion; 333 - second channel. Detailed implementation manners

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the following will describe in more detail the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings in the preferred embodiments of this application. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components or components with the same or similar functions throughout. The described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of this application. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain this application and should not be construed as a limitation to this application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of this application. The following will explain in detail the embodiments of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] In the description of this application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "install", "connect", and "couple" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or the communication inside two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0044] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. are the orientation or positional relationships based on the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to this application.

[0045] The terms "first", "second", "third" (if any) in the description, claims and above-mentioned drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and do not necessarily describe a specific order or sequence.

[0046] In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product or display that includes a series of steps or units does not necessarily have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or displays.

[0047] In the prior art, a vent hole communicating with the inside of the ink cartridge is provided on the face cover. Through the vent hole, the inside of the ink cartridge is communicated with the atmosphere. When the ink is consumed, air can enter the ink cartridge through the vent hole to balance the air pressure inside and outside the ink cartridge, ensuring that the ink can flow out of the ink cartridge smoothly during printing. However, the vent hole is in an open state all the time, and the ink in the ink cartridge is likely to volatilize from the vent hole, reducing the ink volume in the ink cartridge and affecting the printing quality and the number of printed pages. If the vent hole is sealed with a sealing plug, when the ink cartridge is in use, the sealing plug is pulled out from the vent hole. Although the ink can be prevented from volatilizing from the vent hole, the ink may adhere to the sealing plug. When the sealing plug is pulled out, the ink adhering to the bottom of the sealing plug may be taken out, contaminating the ink cartridge and bringing inconvenience to the user's use.

[0048] After repeated thinking and verification, the inventor found that if a sealing member is used to seal the vent hole, a part of the sealing member extends into the vent hole. At the same time, the sealing member can rotate relative to the vent hole. A flow channel for gas to flow through is provided on the sealing member, and a blocking portion is provided on the face cover of the ink cartridge. The user can rotate the sealing member to make the blocking portion block the flow channel or separate from the flow channel. When the blocking portion blocks the flow channel, the ink volatilization can be avoided; when the blocking portion separates from the flow channel, air can enter the ink storage cavity of the ink cartridge through the flow channel. In this way, when the ink cartridge is not in use, the ink in the ink cartridge will not volatilize through the vent hole; when the ink cartridge is in use, the air pressure inside and outside the ink cartridge can be balanced through the flow channel, ensuring the use of the ink cartridge. In addition, when the user adjusts the state of the ink cartridge, there is no need to pull out the sealing member from the vent hole, avoiding the ink in the ink cartridge being taken out by the sealing member and contaminating the ink cartridge.

[0049] In view of this, the inventor designed an ink cartridge. By installing a rotatable sealing member in the vent hole, a flow channel communicating with the ink storage cavity is provided on the sealing member, and a blocking portion capable of blocking the flow channel is provided on the face cover. The state of the ink cartridge can be adjusted by rotating the sealing member. In this way, the ink in the ink cartridge can be prevented from volatilizing through the vent hole, and at the same time, the normal use of the ink cartridge and the cleanliness of the surface of the ink cartridge can be ensured.

[0050] The following will describe in detail the technical solution of the ink cartridge provided in the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] Refer to Figures 1 - 5As shown in the figure, the ink cartridge provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a housing 100, a face cover 200, and a seal 300. The housing 100 has an ink storage cavity. The face cover 200 is covered on the housing 100 to block the ink storage cavity. An air guide hole 210 communicating the ink storage cavity with the outside is provided on the face cover 200. At least a part of the seal 300 extends into the inside of the air guide hole 210 to block the air guide hole 210. A flow channel 310 is provided on the seal 300. The first end of the flow channel 310 communicates with the ink storage cavity. Among them, a blocking portion is provided on the face cover 200, and the seal 300 is configured to be rotatable relative to the face cover 200. When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the blocking portion blocks the flow channel 310; when the ink cartridge is in the second state, the flow channel 310 communicates with the outside.

[0052] Among them, the face cover 200 can be fixed on the housing 100 by a snap connection method. In other embodiments, the face cover 200 and the housing 100 can also be an integral part. Schematically, the cross-sectional shape of the air guide hole 210 is circular. The cross-sectional size of the air guide hole 210 is not limited in this embodiment, and those skilled in the art can set it according to actual needs.

[0053] It can be understood that the cross-sectional shape of the part of the seal 300 extending into the air guide hole 210 is also circular. After the seal 300 blocks the air guide hole 210, the seal 300 can rotate around the axis of the air guide hole 210. Among them, the flow channel 310 can be provided on the seal 300 by a one-time forming process. Exemplarily, the cross-sectional shape of the flow channel 310 can be a semi-circular shape, a rectangular shape or other suitable shapes, and is not uniquely limited herein.

[0054] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown in the figure, the blocking portion can be provided on the side of the face cover 200 facing away from the housing 100. The blocking portion can be provided on the face cover 200 by a one-time forming process. When the user rotates the seal cover, the blocking portion can block the flow channel 310 or separate from the flow channel 310, that is, the state of the ink cartridge can be adjusted by rotating the seal cover.

[0055] For the ink cartridge provided by the present application, when not in use, the ink cartridge can be in the first state, and the flow channel 310 on the seal 300 is blocked by the blocking portion, so as to avoid the communication between the ink storage cavity and the outside, that is, to avoid air leakage of the ink cartridge, ensure that the ink in the ink cartridge will not volatilize from the air guide hole 210, and ensure the ink volume of the ink cartridge. When the ink cartridge is in use, the user can rotate the seal 300 to change the ink cartridge from the first state to the second state. At this time, the ink storage cavity communicates with the outside through the flow channel 310 on the seal 300, and the air pressure inside and outside the ink storage cavity can be balanced through the flow channel 310, so that the ink in the ink storage cavity can flow out smoothly.

[0056] In addition, the air guide hole 210 can also serve as an ink injection hole. After the ink in the ink cartridge is exhausted, the seal 300 can be pulled out from the air guide hole 210, and ink can be injected into the ink storage cavity through the air guide hole 210. In this way, there is no need to separately provide an ink injection hole on the ink cartridge, saving the opening process of the ink injection hole, facilitating the manufacture of the ink cartridge, reducing the mating structure of the ink cartridge, that is, compared with an ink cartridge separately provided with an ink injection hole, the sealing member for plugging the ink injection hole can be reduced, improving the sealing performance of the ink cartridge.

[0057] In one embodiment, as Figures 3 - 5 shown, the seal 300 is made of an elastic material. The seal 300 includes a sealing column 320 and a cover body 330 mounted at one end of the sealing column 320. The sealing column 320 extends into the interior of the air guide hole 210 and plugs the air guide hole 210. The flow channel 310 includes an air guide groove 311 provided on the sealing column 320 and a first limiting groove 312 provided on the cover body 330. The air guide groove 311 communicates with the first limiting groove 312. The plugging portion is a first protrusion 220 provided on the face cover 200, and the first limiting groove 312 is configured to allow the first protrusion 220 to extend therein.

[0058] Schematically, the shape of the first limiting groove 312 can match the shape of the first protrusion 220, and the flow channel 310 can be plugged after the first protrusion 220 extends into the air guide groove 311. Among them, the material of the seal 300 can be a suitable material such as silica gel or rubber. The cover body 330 is provided at one end of the sealing column 320 away from the ink storage cavity. Exemplarily, the sealing column 320 and the cover body 330 can be made into an integral part through a one-step forming process. It is worth mentioning that when the ink cartridge is in the first state or the second state, the cover body 330 covers the side of the face cover 200 facing away from the ink storage cavity. It is worth mentioning that the height of the cover body 330 is less than the height of the clamping position on the face cover 200, so that the seal 300 does not affect the connection between the ink cartridge and the printer.

[0059] In a possible implementation manner, the air guide groove 311 can extend along the axial direction of the sealing column 320. The bottom end of the air guide groove 311 communicates with the ink storage cavity, and the top end of the air guide groove 311 communicates with the first limiting groove 312.

[0060] This structure facilitates the user to rotate the seal 300. Specifically, when the user needs to adjust the state of the ink cartridge, the cover body 330 of the seal 300 can be toggled to rotate the seal 300. In addition, the seal 300 is made of an elastic material. After the sealing column 320 extends into the air guide hole 210, the side wall of the sealing column 320 can be tightly attached to the hole wall of the air guide hole 210 through the elastic deformation of the sealing column 320, thereby improving the reliability of the seal 300 in plugging the air guide hole 210.

[0061] In a specific embodiment, as Figures 3 - 5As shown, the air guiding groove 311 is spirally arranged around the axis of the sealing column 320 , and the second end of the air guiding groove 311 extends to the side wall of the first limiting groove 312 .

[0062] Among them, those skilled in the art can set the pitch of the air guide groove 311 according to actual needs, and no sole limitation is made here. For example, the first limiting groove 312 can be a strip structure, and the extension direction of the strip structure can be parallel to the radial direction of the air guide hole 210, and one end of the first limiting groove 312 extends to the side wall of the sealing column 320. It is worth mentioning that since the sealing member 300 is made of elastic material, when the user turns the cover 330 to rotate the sealing member 300, the first protrusion 220 can squeeze the cover 330 and cause the cover 330 to elastically deform, so that the first protrusion 220 can extend into the interior of the first limiting groove 312 or escape from the first limiting groove 312.

[0063] In one possible implementation, the height of the overlapping portion of the air guide groove 311 and the first limiting groove 312 is less than the height of the first protrusion 220. It is understood that when the first protrusion 220 extends into the first limiting groove 312, the first protrusion 220 abuts against the sidewall of the first limiting groove 312. Furthermore, the sidewall of the first protrusion 220 completely covers the overlapping portion of the air guide groove 311 and the first limiting groove 312, thereby blocking the second end of the air guide groove 311 and thus the flow channel 310.

[0064] Through the above-mentioned setting, the overlapping area of the air guide groove 311 and the first limiting groove 312 can be made smaller. When the side wall of the first limiting groove 312 connecting the air guide groove 311 is against the side wall of the first protrusion 220, the first protrusion 220 can reliably block the end of the air guide groove 311 to block the flow channel 310.

[0065] like Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the cover 330 includes a first connecting portion 331 and a second connecting portion 332 arranged side by side. The first connecting portion 331 is located at the end of the sealing post 320 away from the ink reservoir. In the axial direction of the sealing post 320, the projection of the first connecting portion 331 coincides with the projection of the sealing post 320. When the ink cartridge is in the second state, the first protrusion 220 is disengaged from the second connecting portion 332.

[0066] Schematically, both the first connecting portion 331 and the second connecting portion 332 are sheet-like structures. The first connecting portion 331 is circular, and the radius of the first connecting portion 331 is equal to the radius of the sealing column 320. The first limiting groove 312 is provided on the side of the second connecting portion 332 facing the cover 200. When the ink cartridge is in the second state, the first protrusion 220 is located outside the second connecting portion 332.

[0067] In this structure, since the first connecting portion 331 and the second connecting portion 332 are arranged side by side and the shape and size of the first connecting portion 331 match those of the sealing post 320, the seal 300 can be rotated to a position where the second connecting portion 332 disengages from the first protrusion 220. At this time, the ink cartridge is in the second state, and the first protrusion 220 is disposed opposite the first connecting portion 331. Through the above settings, when the ink cartridge is in the second state, there will be no interference between the seal 300 and the first protrusion 220. In addition, when the ink cartridge is in the second state, the first protrusion 220 is located outside the second connecting portion 332, and the edge of the second connecting portion 332 can abut against the first protrusion 220, that is, the second connecting portion 332 can limit the position of the seal 300. When the ink cartridge is in the second state and the user does not apply an external force to the seal 300, the first protrusion 220 will not enter the interior of the first limiting groove 312 to block the flow channel 310 on the seal 300, ensuring that the ink in the ink cartridge can flow out smoothly.

[0068] In one embodiment, as Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, a limiting portion 230 is provided inside the air guide hole 210. A through hole 231 communicating the ink storage cavity with the air guide hole 210 is formed on the limiting portion 230, and the limiting portion 230 abuts against one end of the sealing post 320 extending into the air guide hole 210.

[0069] Exemplarily, the through hole 231 and the limiting portion 230 are coaxially arranged. It can be understood that the limiting portion 230 is a ring-shaped sheet structure, and this ring-shaped sheet structure can be provided on the face cover 200 through a one-time molding process. In this embodiment, the width of the limiting portion 230 protruding from the air guide hole 210 is not limited, and those skilled in the art can set it according to actual needs. It can be understood that in the axial direction of the sealing post 320, the projection of the limiting portion 230 and the projection of the sealing post 320 have an overlapping part, so that one side of the limiting portion 230 facing away from the ink storage cavity can abut against one end of the sealing post 320 extending into the air guide hole 210.

[0070] In this structure, after the sealing post 320 extends into the air guide hole 210, the limiting portion 230 can support the sealing post 320. While ensuring the sealing effect of the sealing post 320 on the air guide hole 210, it avoids the sealing post 320 extending too long into the air guide hole 210, ensuring the normal use of the ink cartridge, and at the same time enabling the user to reliably rotate the seal 300.

[0071] In a specific embodiment, as Figures 3 - 5As shown, the sealing post 320 includes a first section 321 and a second section 322 arranged coaxially. One end of the first section 321 away from the second section 322 is connected to the cover 330. One end of the flow channel 310 away from the cover 330 extends to the side wall of the second section 322, and there is a gap between the side wall of the second section 322 and the pore wall of the air guide hole 210. On the side of the limiting part 230 facing the sealing post 320, a groove 232 communicating the through hole 231 and the air guide hole 210 is provided.

[0072] Among them, the cover 330 is arranged at the top of the first section 321, and the second section 322 is located at the bottom of the first section 321. It is worth mentioning that after the sealing post 320 extends into the air guide hole 210, the side wall of the first section 321 is in close contact with the pore wall of the air guide hole 210 to seal the air guide hole 210.

[0073] In a possible implementation, as Figures 3 - 5 and Figure 6 shown, the side wall of the second section 322 can be inclined to the axis of the sealing post 320. After the sealing post 320 extends into the air guide hole 210, the gap between the second section 322 and the air guide hole 210 gradually decreases from bottom to top. In another possible implementation, both the first section 321 and the second section 322 can be cylindrical, the diameter of the second section 322 is smaller than that of the first section 321, and the gap between the second section 322 and the air guide hole 210 does not change from bottom to top.

[0074] Among them, one end of the groove 232 can extend to the through hole 231, and the other end of the groove 232 can extend to the gap between the second section 322 and the air guide hole 210.

[0075] With this structure, the groove 232 is provided on the limiting part 230, and at the same time, there is a gap between the second section 322 of the sealing post 320 and the air guide hole 210. After the sealing post 320 abuts against the limiting part 230, the sealing post 320 does not completely block the through hole 231 on the limiting part 230. The through hole 231 and the flow channel 310 can be communicated via the groove 232 and the gap between the second section 322 and the air guide hole 210, ensuring that when the ink cartridge is in use, the ink storage cavity can perform reliable gas exchange with the outside via the flow channel 310 on the sealing member 300.

[0076] In a possible implementation, as Figure 7 shown, a first channel 323 is provided inside the sealing post 320. One end of the first channel 323 extends to one end of the sealing post 320 facing the ink storage cavity and communicates with the ink storage cavity, and the other end of the first channel 323 communicates with the air guide groove 311.

[0077] Schematically, the first channel 323 may be an "L" - shaped structure. One end of the "L" - shaped structure is located at the bottom end of the sealing column 320 and communicates with the ink storage cavity, and the other end communicates with the air guide groove 311 on the side wall of the sealing column 320. After the sealing column 320 extends into the air guide hole 210, the end of the first channel 323 facing the ink storage cavity is disposed opposite to the through - hole 231 of the limiting portion 230.

[0078] With this structure, the through - hole 231 of the limiting portion 230 and the air guide groove 311 can be communicated via the first channel 323 inside the sealing column 320. When the ink cartridge is in use, the ink storage cavity can reliably exchange gas with the outside via the flow channel 310 on the sealing member 300, ensuring the normal use of the ink cartridge.

[0079] As Figures 2 - 5 and Figure 6 shown, the first protrusion 220 is a long - strip - shaped structure protruding from the face cover 200. When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the extending direction of the long - strip - shaped structure is parallel to the extending direction of the first limiting groove 312. One end of the long - strip - shaped structure extends to the edge of the air guide hole 210.

[0080] Among them, the length of the first protrusion 220 may be greater than, equal to, or less than the length of the first limiting groove 312, and there is no unique limitation here. Exemplarily, the first protrusion 220 and the first limiting groove 312 may extend along the radial direction of the air guide hole 210. It is worth mentioning that when the ink cartridge is in the first state, the end of the first protrusion 220 located at the edge of the air guide hole 210 can block the top end of the air guide groove 311. Specifically, the end of the first protrusion 220 located at the edge of the air guide hole 210 can block the part of the air guide groove 311 that coincides with the first limiting groove 312. The gas in the ink storage cavity will not enter the first limiting groove 312.

[0081] In this embodiment, the first protrusion 220 is a long - strip - shaped structure. After the first protrusion 220 extends into the first limiting groove 312, it can ensure the contact area between the first protrusion 220 and the first limiting groove 312, improve the limiting effect of the first protrusion 220 on the sealing member 300, the sealing member 300 is not easy to rotate, and the first protrusion 220 can reliably block the flow channel 310. In addition, one end of the first protrusion 220 extends to the edge of the air guide hole 210, so that the first protrusion 220 can directly block the top end of the air guide groove 311. When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the substances in the ink storage cavity will not enter the first limiting groove 312, which is beneficial to ensuring the cleanliness of the ink cartridge surface.

[0082] In a possible implementation manner, as Figure 8As shown, in the rotational direction of the seal 300, the two opposing side walls of the first protrusion 220 are respectively inclined relative to the cover 200, and the two side walls of the first limiting groove 312 are respectively inclined relative to the cover 200. When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the two opposing side walls of the first protrusion 220 are respectively in close contact with the two side walls of the first limiting groove 312.

[0083] For example, Figure 8 As shown, the two opposing side walls of the first protrusion 220 in the rotational direction of the seal 300 are the two side walls in the width direction of the first protrusion 220. When the seal 300 rotates, the two side walls in the width direction of the first protrusion 220 can contact the cover 330 of the seal 300. Both side walls in the width direction of the first protrusion 220 are arranged obliquely relative to the cover 200. The specific angle between the side walls of the first protrusion 220 and the cover 200 can be adjusted by those skilled in the art as needed, and this is not a single limitation herein.

[0084] It is worth mentioning that the inclination angle of the side wall of the first protrusion 220 matches the inclination angle of the side wall of the first limiting groove 312, so that when the ink cartridge is in the first state, the side wall of the first protrusion 220 can be close to the side wall of the first limiting groove 312, and then the first protrusion 220 can reliably block the end of the air guide groove 311 and then block the flow channel 310.

[0085] This structure makes it easier for users to adjust the state of the ink cartridge. Specifically, the sidewall of the first protrusion 220 is arranged at an angle relative to the cover 200. When the user rotates the sealing member 300, the first protrusion 220, which is inclined relative to the sidewall of the cover 200, can exert a force on the cover body 330 of the sealing member 300, causing the cover body 330 to elastically deform toward the side of the cover 200, thereby allowing the first protrusion 220 to extend into or out of the first limiting groove 312 of the cover 200.

[0086] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the first protrusion 220 is arranged in an arc shape around the axis of the air guide hole 210, and the first limiting groove 312 is arranged in an arc shape around the axis of the sealing column 320. The two ends of the first limiting groove 312 extend to both sides of the cover body 330 along the rotation direction of the sealing member 300. The flow channel 310 also includes a second channel 333 provided on the side of the cover body 330 facing the face cover 200. The height of the second channel 333 is less than or equal to the height of the first protrusion 220. One end of the second channel 333 is connected to the air guide groove 311, and the other end of the second channel 333 extends to the side of the cover body 330. The second channel 333 is arranged to intersect with the first limiting groove 312.

[0087] Among them, the radius of the arc formed by the first protrusion 220 is the same as the radius of the arc formed by the first limiting groove 312. When the user rotates the seal 300, the first protrusion 220 can enter the limiting shaft from the end of the first limiting groove 312 or can be disengaged from the first limiting groove 312.

[0088] In a possible implementation manner, the second channel 333 can extend along the radial direction of the air guide hole 210. When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the first protrusion 220 at least partially enters the first limiting groove 312, and this part of the first protrusion 220 can block the second channel 333. It is worth mentioning that the height of the second channel 333 is less than or equal to the height of the first protrusion 220, and the second channel 333 and the first limiting groove 312 are arranged in a cross manner to ensure that the first protrusion 220 can completely block the second channel 333. When the ink cartridge is not in use, the ink in the ink storage cavity will not volatilize through the flow channel 310 on the seal 300.

[0089] Through the above settings, when the user rotates the seal 300, the first protrusion 220 on the face cover 200 can block the flow channel 310 on the seal 300 or separate from the flow channel 310, thereby changing the state of the ink cartridge. In addition, since both the first protrusion 220 and the first limiting groove 312 are arc-shaped, when the user rotates the seal 300, there will be no interference between the first protrusion 220 and the cover body 330 of the seal 300, which is convenient for the user to change the state of the ink cartridge.

[0090] In one embodiment, the seal 300 is made of an elastic material. The seal 300 includes a sealing column 320 and a cover body 330 installed at one end of the sealing column 320. The sealing column 320 extends into the interior of the air guide hole 210 and blocks the air guide hole 210. A second protrusion is provided on the surface of the cover body 330 facing the face cover 200. The flow channel 310 includes an air guide groove 311 provided on the sealing column 320 and a recess provided on the side wall of the second protrusion. The air guide groove 311 is communicated with the recess, and the blocking portion is a second limiting groove provided on the face cover 200. When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the second protrusion extends into the second limiting groove, and the side wall of the second limiting groove blocks the recess; when the ink cartridge is in the second state, the second protrusion disengages from the second limiting groove.

[0091] Among them, the seal 300 can be made of a suitable material such as silica gel or rubber. When the user rotates the seal 300 to change the ink cartridge from the first state to the second state, the second protrusion is elastically deformed under the extrusion of the second limiting groove. At this time, the second protrusion can be disengaged from the second limiting groove. In a possible implementation, the air guiding groove 311 can be a spiral structure, and the spiral structure is arranged around the axis of the sealing column 320. The second protrusion can be provided on the cover 330 by a one-time molding process. The shape and size of the second protrusion match the second limiting groove. After the second protrusion extends into the second limiting groove, the side wall of the second limiting groove is in close contact with the side wall of the second protrusion, and then the side wall of the second limiting groove can block the concave portion. It is worth mentioning that the end of the concave portion far from the air guiding groove 311 does not extend to the end of the second protrusion, so that the side wall of the second limiting groove can reliably block the concave portion on the second protrusion after being in close contact with the side wall of the second protrusion, so as to achieve the blocking of the flow channel 310.

[0092] In this structure, after the second protrusion extends into the second limiting groove, the concave portion on the second protrusion can be blocked by the side wall of the second limiting groove to achieve the blocking of the flow channel 310, avoiding air leakage in the ink cartridge and ensuring the ink volume in the ink cartridge. When the second protrusion disengages from the second limiting groove, the ink storage cavity is communicated with the outside through the flow channel 310 on the seal 300, so that the ink in the ink storage cavity can flow out smoothly.

[0093] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge, characterized in that, Comprising: A housing having an ink storage chamber; A face cover covering the housing to seal the ink storage chamber, and an air guide hole communicating the ink storage chamber with the outside is provided on the face cover; A seal, at least part of the seal extends into the interior of the air guide hole to seal the air guide hole, a flow channel is provided on the seal, and a first end of the flow channel communicates with the ink storage chamber; Wherein, a blocking portion is provided on the face cover, and the seal is configured to be rotatable relative to the face cover; When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the blocking portion blocks the flow channel; When the ink cartridge is in the second state, the flow channel communicates with the outside; The flow channel includes an air guide groove and a first limiting groove provided on the seal, the air guide groove communicates with the first limiting groove, the blocking portion is a first protrusion provided on the face cover, and the first limiting groove is configured to allow the first protrusion to extend into; Or, the seal includes a second protrusion provided on a side facing the face cover, the flow channel includes an air guide groove provided on the seal and a recess provided on the side wall of the second protrusion, the air guide groove communicates with the recess, and the blocking portion is a second limiting groove provided on the face cover; when the ink cartridge is in the first state, the second protrusion extends into the second limiting groove, and the side wall of the second limiting groove blocks the recess; when the ink cartridge is in the second state, the second protrusion disengages from the second limiting groove.

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The seal is made of an elastic material, the seal includes a sealing column and a cover body installed at one end of the sealing column, the sealing column extends into the interior of the air guide hole and seals the air guide hole, the air guide groove is provided on the sealing column, and the first limiting groove is provided on the cover body.

3. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein, The air guide groove is spirally provided around the axis of the sealing column, and a second end of the air guide groove extends to the side wall of the first limiting groove; and / or, The cover body includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion arranged side by side, the first connecting portion is located at an end of the sealing column away from the ink storage chamber, in the axial direction of the sealing column, the projection of the first connecting portion coincides with the projection of the sealing column, and when the ink cartridge is in the second state, the first protrusion disengages from the second connecting portion.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein A limiting portion is provided inside the air guide hole, a through hole communicating the ink storage chamber with the air guide hole is provided on the limiting portion, and the limiting portion abuts against an end of the sealing column extending into the interior of the air guide hole.

5. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, wherein, The sealing column includes a first section and a second section arranged coaxially, one end of the first section away from the second section is connected to the cover body, an end of the flow channel away from the cover body extends to the side wall of the second section, and there is a gap between the side wall of the second section and the hole wall of the air guide hole; A groove communicating the through hole with the air guide hole is provided on a side of the limiting portion facing the sealing column.

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, characterized in that, A first channel is provided inside the sealing column, one end of the first channel extends to an end of the sealing column facing the ink storage chamber and communicates with the ink storage chamber, and the other end of the first channel communicates with the air guide groove.

7. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein, The first protrusion is a long strip structure protruding from the face cover. When the ink cartridge is in the first state, the extending direction of the long strip structure is parallel to the extending direction of the first limiting groove; one end of the long strip structure extends to the edge of the air guide hole.

8. The ink cartridge according to claim 7, characterized in that, On the rotation direction of the seal, the two side walls opposite to the first protrusion are respectively inclined to the face cover, and the two side walls of the first limiting groove are respectively inclined to the face cover; when the ink cartridge is in the first state, the two side walls opposite to the first protrusion are respectively in close contact with the two side walls of the first limiting groove.

9. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein, The first protrusion is arranged in an arc around the axis of the air guide hole, the first limiting groove is arranged in an arc around the axis of the sealing column, both ends of the first limiting groove respectively extend to both sides of the cover body along the rotation direction of the seal, the flow channel further includes a second channel arranged on the side of the cover body facing the face cover, the height of the second channel is less than or equal to the height of the first protrusion, one end of the second channel is communicated with the air guide groove, the other end of the second channel extends to the side face of the cover body, and the second channel and the first limiting groove are arranged in a cross manner.

10. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein, The seal is made of an elastic material. The seal includes a sealing column and a cover body installed at one end of the sealing column. The sealing column extends into the interior of the air guide hole and seals the air guide hole. The second protrusion is arranged on the surface of the cover body facing the face cover, and the air guide groove is arranged on the sealing column.

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