Support, chip unit, regeneration ink box and regeneration method of ink box

Abstract

The invention relates to a support, a chip unit, a regeneration ink box and an ink box regeneration method, and the support is used for supporting a chip assembly and comprises a support body, and a first baffle plate and a second baffle plate which are connected with the support body; the first limiting part is connected with the first baffle; the second limiting part is connected with the second baffle, and the first limiting part and the second limiting part are oppositely arranged at an interval; and at least one protruding part, in the front-back direction, the size of the front part closer to the first restricting part in the left-right direction is larger than the size of the rear part farther from the first restricting part in the left-right direction, and the size of the rear part farther from the first restricting part in the up-down direction is larger than the size of the front part closer to the first restricting part in the up-down direction. The size of the left and right tail ends closer to the first limiting part in the front-back direction is smaller than the size of the left and right tail ends farther away from the first limiting part in the front-back direction. According to the scheme, the chip can be stably installed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of inkjet imaging technology, and in particular to a regenerated ink cartridge detachably mounted in an inkjet imaging device, a chip unit located in the regenerated ink cartridge, a bracket, and an ink cartridge regeneration method. Background Art

[0002] An ink cartridge is a container that can be detachably installed on an imaging device. The ink contained therein is supplied to the imaging device through an ink outlet. In order to enable the imaging device to obtain parameter information such as the model and life of the ink cartridge, the ink cartridge is also provided with a chip for storing the parameter information. When the ink cartridge is installed on the imaging device, the chip establishes a communication connection with the imaging device.

[0003] Generally, when the ink in the ink cartridge is consumed, at least the shell for containing the ink and / or the chip can still be used. For this purpose, there is a method of recycling the empty ink cartridges after using up the ink and re-injecting ink into the shell to produce regenerated ink cartridges.

[0004] In order to maintain a stable communication connection between the chip and the imaging device, the chip needs to be stably fixed in the ink cartridge. An existing fixing method is to weld the chip to the ink cartridge. Although this method can effectively improve the stability of the chip, it is not conducive to removing the chip from the shell. The reason is that the shell of the recycled empty ink cartridge may be damaged, but the chip is still intact. In this case, the chip needs to be removed from the shell.

[0005] To this end, there is a solution to completely remove the chip from the shell of the empty ink cartridge by cutting, but how to stably install the removed chip into the regenerated ink cartridge is a research and development direction that needs to be considered. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides the following chip unit, the specific solution is:

[0007] The bracket is used to support the chip assembly, and the chip assembly includes a base body, a first supported portion, a second supported portion and a restricted portion, the first supported portion, the second supported portion and the restricted portion are all connected to the base body, and along the left and right directions, the first supported portion and the second supported portion are arranged relative to each other at intervals, and the first supported portion and the second supported portion are both extended downward from the base body to form a supported space therebetween; the bracket includes: a bracket body; a first baffle and a second baffle, both connected to the bracket body, and the first baffle and the second baffle are arranged relative to each other at intervals to form a supporting space therebetween; the first restricting portion is connected to the first baffle, and extends from the first baffle toward the second baffle, and the first restricting portion and the bracket body are arranged relative to each other at intervals; the second restricting portion is connected to the second baffle, and extends from the first baffle toward the second baffle. The two baffles extend toward the first baffle, and the second limiting portion and the bracket body are arranged relative to each other at intervals, and the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are also arranged relative to each other. Along the up and down directions, the first limiting portion is higher than the second limiting portion; at least one protrusion is arranged in the supporting space and can enter the supported space. Along the front and back directions, the size of the front part closer to the first limiting portion in the left and right directions is larger than the size of the rear part farther away from the first limiting portion in the left and right directions, the size of the rear part farther away from the first limiting portion in the up and down directions is larger than the size of the front part closer to the first limiting portion in the up and down directions, and the sizes of the left and right ends of the front part closer to the first limiting portion in the front and back directions are smaller than the sizes of the left and right ends of the rear part farther away from the first limiting portion in the front and back directions.

[0008] Alternatively, a bracket is used to support a chip assembly, wherein the chip assembly includes a base body, a first supported portion, a second supported portion and a restricted portion, the first supported portion, the second supported portion and the restricted portion are all connected to the base body, and along the left and right directions, the first supported portion and the second supported portion are both extended downward from the base body, and the first supported portion and the second supported portion are spaced and arranged opposite to each other, forming a supported space therebetween; the bracket includes: a bracket body; a first baffle and a second baffle, both connected to the bracket body, and the first baffle and the second baffle are spaced and arranged opposite to each other, forming a supporting space therebetween; the first restricting portion is connected to the first baffle, extends from the first baffle toward the second baffle, and the first restricting portion and the bracket body are spaced and arranged opposite to each other; the second restricting portion is connected to the second baffle The baffle is connected and extends from the second baffle toward the first baffle, and the second limiting part and the bracket body are arranged relative to each other at intervals, and the first limiting part and the second limiting part are also arranged relative to each other. In the up and down directions, the first limiting part is higher than the second limiting part; the first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged in the supporting space and can enter the supported space, and are arranged at intervals along the front and back directions. The first protrusion is closer to the first limiting part than the second protrusion. The size of the first protrusion in the left and right directions is larger than the size of the second protrusion in the left and right directions, the size of the second protrusion in the up and down directions is larger than the size of the first protrusion in the up and down directions, and the sizes of the left and right ends of the first protrusion in the front and back directions are smaller than the sizes of the left and right ends of the second protrusion in the front and back directions.

[0009] In some embodiments, in the left-right direction, an extension dimension of the second restricting portion is smaller than an extension dimension of the second blocking plate.

[0010] In some embodiments, the left end of the chip assembly does not exceed the left end of the bracket body, and the right end of the chip assembly does not exceed the right end of the bracket body.

[0011] In some embodiments, the bracket further includes: a first supporting portion formed between the left end of the protrusion and the left end of the bracket body, for supporting the first supported portion; and a second supporting portion formed between the right end of the protrusion and the right end of the bracket body, for supporting the second supported portion.

[0012] The present invention further provides a chip unit, comprising a chip assembly and the bracket as described above, wherein the chip assembly is supported by the bracket.

[0013] The present invention also provides a regenerated ink cartridge that can be detachably installed in an imaging device provided with a contact pin, the regenerated ink cartridge comprising: a shell for containing ink; a chip unit mounted on the shell, the chip unit comprising a chip assembly and a bracket as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, the chip assembly being supported by the bracket, the chip assembly being used to form electrical contact with the contact pin, so that the regenerated ink cartridge establishes a communication connection with the imaging device.

[0014] In some embodiments, the chip assembly includes: a chip for forming electrical contact with the contact pins; and a chip holder for supporting the chip, wherein the chip holder comes from an original ink cartridge that has been used at least once and recycled.

[0015] The present invention also provides a method for regenerating an ink cartridge, which regenerates an original ink cartridge that has been used at least once and recycled to form a regenerated ink cartridge, wherein the original ink cartridge includes an original ink cartridge shell and a chip installed on the original ink cartridge shell. The regeneration method includes: a step of preparing a shell of the regenerated ink cartridge and a bracket as described in any one of claims 1 to 5; a step of obtaining a chip assembly, cutting the original ink cartridge shell, and separating the chip and a part of the original ink cartridge shell from the original ink cartridge shell; a step of assembling a chip unit, installing the chip assembly on a prepared bracket to form a chip unit; and a step of installing the chip unit, installing the chip unit on the prepared shell of the regenerated ink cartridge.

[0016] The shell of the regenerated ink cartridge comes from the original ink cartridge shell or is newly manufactured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the remanufactured ink cartridge according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the housing and chip unit of the remanufactured ink cartridge according to the present invention after being separated from each other.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a bracket in a chip unit according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4A It is along Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the chip unit cut along the AA direction.

[0021] Figure 4B It is along Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the chip unit cut along the BB direction.

[0022] Figures 5A-5C It is a schematic diagram of the process of installing the chip component to the bracket in the chip unit involved in the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6A It is a plan view schematically showing the state in which the first supported portion abuts against the first protruding portion when the chip holder according to the present invention is swung to the right.

[0024] Figure 6B It is a plan view schematically showing the first supported portion with its front-to-back dimension increased when in contact with the first protruding portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026]

Basic structure of ink cartridge

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the ink cartridge 100 includes a shell 1 and an ink outlet 2, wherein the shell 1 is used to contain ink, and the ink outlet 2 is arranged on the shell 1 for discharging the ink outward. When the ink cartridge 100 is detachably mounted to an imaging device, the ink is supplied to the imaging device through the ink outlet 2.

[0028] Furthermore, the ink cartridge 100 also includes a chip unit 3 installed in the housing 1, and the chip unit 3 is electrically contacted with the contact pins in the imaging device through the electrical contact portion 61 (to be described below) provided therein, thereby establishing a communication connection between the ink cartridge 100 and the imaging device.

[0029] According to the inventive concept of the present invention, the chip unit 3 and the ink outlet 2 can be located on the same side of the housing 1 (e.g. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown), the chip unit 3 can also be set at other positions of the housing 1 according to design requirements, which is not limited here.

[0030] Hereinafter, an ink cartridge that has been used at least once and recycled is referred to as an original ink cartridge, and the original ink cartridge includes an original ink cartridge shell and a chip 6 installed on the original ink cartridge shell. A part of the chip unit 3 comes from the original ink cartridge shell. Regardless of whether the chip unit 3 is matched with a new shell or an original ink cartridge shell, the ink cartridge installed with the chip unit 3 is called a regenerated ink cartridge. The regenerated ink cartridge in this application is also represented by the number 100. The regenerated ink cartridge 100 includes a shell 1 and an ink outlet 2. The shell 1 can be newly manufactured or from a recycled ink cartridge. The ink outlet 2 is arranged in the shell 1 for supplying ink to the imaging device, and the chip unit 3 is installed on the shell 1.

[0031]

Chip unit

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the chip unit 3 includes a bracket 4 and a chip assembly CA that cooperate with each other. The bracket 4 is used to support the chip assembly CA. The bracket 4 is connected to the shell 1, so that the chip unit 3 and the shell 1 can be connected; wherein, the connection method of the chip unit 3 and the shell 1 does not have to be limited, that is, the chip unit 3 and the shell 1 can be connected in a detachable manner or in a non-detachable manner.

[0033] (Stand)

[0034] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the bracket 4 includes a bracket body 40, a first baffle 41, a second baffle 42, a first limiting portion 43 and a second limiting portion 44. The first baffle 41 and the second baffle 42 are both connected to the bracket body 40, and the first baffle 41 and the second baffle 42 are arranged relative to each other at intervals, forming a support space 49 therebetween. The first limiting portion 43 is connected to the first baffle 41, and the second limiting portion 44 is connected to the second baffle 42. The first limiting portion 43 and the second limiting portion 44, the first limiting portion 43 and the bracket body 40, and the second limiting portion 44 and the bracket body 40 are all arranged relative to each other at intervals, wherein the first limiting portion 43 extends from the first baffle 41 toward the second baffle 42, and the second limiting portion 44 extends from the second baffle 42 toward the first baffle 41.

[0035] To make the description clearer, the arrangement direction of the first baffle 41 and the second baffle 42 is defined as the front-to-back direction, the first baffle 41 is located in front of the second baffle 42, the arrangement direction of the first limiting portion 43 or the second limiting portion 44 and the bracket body 41 is the up-down direction, the first limiting portion 43 and the second limiting portion 44 are both located above the bracket body 41, and the direction intersecting the front-to-back direction and the up-down direction is the left-to-right direction. Preferably, the front-to-back direction, the up-down direction and the left-to-right direction are orthogonal.

[0036] Furthermore, the bracket 4 also includes at least one protrusion arranged in the support space 49, so that the first baffle 41 and the second baffle 42 limit the chip component CA in the front and rear directions, the first limiting portion 43 and the second limiting portion 44 limit the top of the chip component CA, the bracket body 40 limits the bottom of the chip component CA, and the protrusion limits the left and right directions of the chip component CA. Finally, the chip component CA can be stably installed in the support space 49.

[0037] Furthermore, the bracket 4 further includes a connecting portion 45 for connecting to the housing 1. Correspondingly, the housing 1 is provided with a connected portion 11 for connecting to the connecting portion 45. Through the cooperation of the connecting portion 45 and the connected portion 11, the bracket 4 is connected to the housing 1. The specific connection method between the two can be gluing, screw connection, snap connection, magnetic connection, interference fit, etc. Figure 2 It is shown that the connecting portion 45 is a protruding column, and the connected portion 11 is a groove capable of interference fit with the protruding column. The protruding column 45 is formed to extend downward from the bracket body 40.

[0038] In some embodiments, a plurality of protruding posts 45 are provided to improve the connection stability between the connecting portion 45 and the connected portion 11 .

[0039] In some embodiments, the number of the protruding posts 45 is three, and correspondingly, the number of the connected parts 11 is also three. The principle of triangular stability can be utilized to ensure a stable connection between the connecting part 45 and the connected part 11.

[0040] In some embodiments, when a plurality of protrusions 45 are provided, the extension size of each protrusion 45 may be different.

[0041] In some embodiments, the area where the connected portion 11 is provided can also be separated from the shell 1 to form an independent component. In this case, the independent component can also be regarded as a part of the chip unit 3. For example, the independent component is called the first bracket, and the bracket 4 is called the second bracket. The first bracket and the shell 1 can also be connected by the connection method described in the present invention.

[0042] In some embodiments, the positions of the protrusion 45 and the groove 11 may be interchanged.

[0043] In some embodiments, the bracket 4 includes a first protrusion 4a and a second protrusion 4b protruding from the bracket body 40, and the first protrusion 4a and the second protrusion 4b are arranged at intervals in the front-to-back direction, the first protrusion 4a is located in front of the second protrusion 4b, and the first protrusion 4a is spaced apart from the first limiting plate 41, and the second protrusion 4b is spaced apart from the second limiting plate 42.

[0044] In some embodiments, as Figure 4A As shown, along the up and down direction, the protruding height h1 of the first protrusion 4a is smaller than the protruding height h2 of the second protrusion 4b, or in other words, the uppermost part of the first protrusion 4a is located below the uppermost part of the second protrusion 4b. This design allows the chip assembly CA to be easily installed in the support space 49, which will be explained in detail below.

[0045] In some embodiments, as Figure 4A As shown, along the front-to-back direction, the size of the first protrusion 4a is smaller than the size of the second protrusion 4b, or, along the front-to-back direction, the size of the left end of the first protrusion 4a is smaller than the size of the left end of the second protrusion 4b, and / or, the size of the right end of the first protrusion 4a is smaller than the size of the right end of the second protrusion 4b. When the first protrusion 4a and the second protrusion 4b are uniformly extended in the left-to-right direction, Figure 4A In the cross-sectional view, the size of the left end and the right end of the first protrusion 4a are both w1, and the size of the left end and the right end of the second protrusion 4b are both w2, w1<w2. Through such a design, the chip component CA can be more easily installed in the support space 49, which will be explained in detail below.

[0046] In some embodiments, along the left-right direction, the size d1 of the first protrusion 4a and the size of the second protrusion 4b are both smaller than the size of the bracket body 40, and a first support portion 46 will be formed between the left end of the first protrusion 4a and the left end of the bracket body 40, and between the left end of the second protrusion 4b and the left end of the bracket body 40. The first support portion 46 is used to support the chip assembly CA. In the left-right direction, the left end of the chip assembly CA will not exceed the left end of the bracket body 40, which is beneficial to optimize the structure of the regenerated ink cartridge 100 and avoid interference between two adjacent regenerated ink cartridges after the regenerated ink cartridge 100 is installed in the imaging device.

[0047] In some embodiments, as Figure 4A As shown, along the vertical direction, the first limiting portion 43 is higher than the second limiting portion 44, so as to provide a rotation space for the chip assembly CA to rotate around a rotation point P described below.

[0048] Accordingly, along the left-right direction, a second support portion 47 will be formed between the right end of the first protrusion 4a and the right end of the bracket body 40, and between the right end of the second protrusion 4b and the right end of the bracket body 40. The second support portion 47 is also used to support the chip assembly CA. In the left-right direction, the right end of the chip assembly CA will not exceed the right end of the bracket body 40, which can also avoid mutual interference between two adjacent regenerated ink cartridges.

[0049] It can be seen that the formation of at least one of the first supporting portion 46 and the second supporting portion 47 can play a role in optimizing the structure of the remanufactured ink cartridge 100 .

[0050] (Chip Components)

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the chip assembly CA includes a chip seat 5 and a chip 6, wherein the chip 6 is fixedly mounted on the chip seat 5, and the chip 6 has an electrical contact portion 61 for electrically contacting a contact pin in the imaging device. The chip seat 5 comes from the original ink cartridge housing. For example, the chip seat 5 is formed by cutting off a portion of the original ink cartridge housing. In this way, the chip 6 originally installed in the original ink cartridge does not need to be removed. Even if the chip 6 is installed in the original ink cartridge housing by a non-detachable method such as welding, the chip 6 will not be damaged by the above-mentioned cutting method.

[0052] The chip holder 5 includes a holder body 50, a first supported portion 51, a second supported portion 52 and a restricted portion 55. The first supported portion 51, the second supported portion 52 and the restricted portion 55 are all connected to the holder body 50. In the left-right direction, the first supported portion 51 and the second supported portion 52 are both extended downward from the holder body 50, and the two are spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other, forming a supported space 53 between the two. The restricted portion 55 can be formed as a protrusion protruding from the holder body 50 or as a recessed portion provided on the holder body 50, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the restricted portion 55 is formed as a protrusion protruding backward from the seat body 50. In the up and down directions, the restricted portion 55 does not exceed the upper surface of the seat body 50. Therefore, a restricted space 54 will be formed above the restricted portion 55. When the second restricting portion 44 enters the restricted space 54, the upward movement of the chip holder 5 / seat body 50 will be stopped by the abutment between the restricted portion 55 and the second restricting portion 44. It is feasible that the restricted portion 55 and the second restricting portion 44 can also be interchangeable. In this case, the restricted space 54 will be formed on the second baffle 42.

[0053] Preferably, along the left-right direction, the extended dimension of the first limiting portion 43 is equivalent to the dimension of the first baffle 41, the extended dimension of the restricted portion 55 is smaller than the dimension of the base body 50, and the extended dimension of the second limiting portion 44 is smaller than the dimension of the second baffle 42. This design ensures that after the chip assembly CA is installed on the bracket 4, at least the front end 5a of the chip assembly CA (described below) can be effectively restricted.

[0054] The supported space 53 is used to allow the protrusions (the first protrusion 4a and the second protrusion 4b) to enter. Figure 4B As shown, in the left-right direction, the left end of the protrusion will be opposite to the right surface 511 of the first supported portion 51 , and the right end of the protrusion will be opposite to the left surface 521 of the second supported portion 52 .

[0055] When the chip assembly CA is mounted to the bracket 4, whether the left end of the protrusion contacts the right surface 511 of the first supported portion 51 along the left and right directions, and whether the right end of the protrusion contacts the left surface 521 of the second supported portion 52, does not constitute a limitation to the concept of the present invention.

[0056]

Installation of chip components

[0057] The following combination Figures 5A-5C 、 Figure 6A and Figure 6B Describe the installation process of the chip assembly to the bracket.

[0058] First, as Figure 2As shown, the chip assembly CA / chip holder 5 (hereinafter described as the chip holder 5) has a front end 5a and a rear end 5b opposite to each other, and the limiting portion 55 is provided at the rear end 5b; Figure 5A As shown, first, the chip assembly CA is placed in a tilted posture relative to the front-back direction. At this time, the rear end 5b of the chip holder 5 is higher than the front end 5a. Then, the front end 5a is inserted into the space between the first limiting portion 43 and the bracket body 40, as shown in FIG. Figure 5B As shown, when the chip holder 5 contacts the bracket body 40 at point P, the rear end 5b of the chip holder 5 is pressed, so that the chip holder 5 rotates around point P, as shown in FIG. Figure 5C As shown, during the rotation of the chip holder 5 , the contact point P gradually moves forward.

[0059] like Figure 4A As shown, after the chip assembly CA is mounted on the bracket 4, the second limiting portion 44 is located above the restricted portion 55. In order to make the restricted portion 55 reach below the second limiting portion 44, the following method can be adopted:

[0060] The first method is to deform the first baffle 41 or the second baffle 42 in the front-to-back direction away from each other. This method not only requires the installer to apply a large pressing force to the chip holder 5, but may also cause the first baffle 41 or the second baffle 42 to be permanently deformed or even broken.

[0061] The second method is to swing the chip holder 5 in the left and right directions. This method does not require applying a large pressing force to the chip holder 5, nor does it require forcing the first baffle 41 or the second baffle 42 to deform. Therefore, this method is more preferred. The present invention will be described below using this method as an example.

[0062] Continue as Figure 5B As shown, along the left-right direction, a portion of the first protrusion 4a (such as Figure 5B The first protrusion 4a restricts the movement of the chip holder 5 in the left-right direction. However, when the width w1 of the first protrusion 4a (i.e., the dimension of the first protrusion 4a in the front-to-back direction) is set to be smaller than the width w2 of the second protrusion 4b (i.e., the dimension of the second protrusion 4b in the front-to-back direction), or when the end width of the first protrusion 4a in the left-to-right direction (i.e., the end dimension of the first protrusion 4a in the left-to-right direction) is set to be smaller than the end width of the second protrusion 4b in the left-to-right direction (i.e., the end dimension of the second protrusion 4b in the left-to-right direction), the chip holder 5 can be easily swung in the left-to-right direction.

[0063] like Figure 6AAs shown, taking the first protrusion 4a of this embodiment as the reference, the first supported portion 51 swings rightward along with the base body 50, and the right surface 511 of the first supported portion 51 abuts against the left end of the first protrusion 4a at the abutment point Q. At this time, the chip holder 5 swings rightward to the maximum angle a; Figure 6B As shown, assuming that the size of the first protrusion 4a in the front-to-back direction in this embodiment increases, or in other words, the size of the left end of the first protrusion 4a in the front-to-back direction increases, the first protrusion at this time is represented by 4a', and the first supported portion 51 swings to the right with the seat body 50, and the right surface 511 of the first supported portion 51 will abut with the left end of the first protrusion 4a' at the abutment point Q'. At this time, the chip holder 5 swings to the right to the maximum angle b. Obviously, angle a>angle b, therefore, the smaller the size of the first protrusion 4a in the front-to-back direction, or in other words, the smaller the size of the left and right ends of the first protrusion 4a in the front-to-back direction along the left-right direction, the larger the angle at which the chip holder 5 can swing in the left-to-right direction, so that the restricted portion 55 and the second restricted portion 44 are easier to stagger with each other, and finally, the chip holder 5 is easier to fully enter the support space 49.

[0064] According to the above description, when a plurality of protrusions are provided, the size of each of the plurality of protrusions in the left-right direction gradually decreases from the front to the rear, so as to avoid the protrusion located behind the protrusion closest to the first baffle 41 from interfering with the swinging of the chip holder 5; for example, in the case where the first protrusion 4a and the second protrusion 4b are provided as mentioned above, since the first protrusion 4a is closer to the first baffle 41 than the second protrusion 4b, the size of the first protrusion 4a in the left-right direction is larger than the size of the second protrusion 4b in the left-right direction, so that the second protrusion 4b can be avoided from interfering with the swinging of the chip holder 5, that is, the chip holder 5 can be avoided from being interfered with by the second protrusion 4b and unable to reach the maximum swinging angle.

[0065] Still taking the first protrusion 4a and the second protrusion 4b as an example, when the size of the first protrusion 4a in the left-right direction is set to be larger than the size of the second protrusion 4b in the left-right direction, the second protrusion 4b will not be able to restrict the chip holder 5 in the left-right direction. To this end, the height h2 of the second protrusion 4b (the size in the up-down direction) can be larger than the height h1 of the first protrusion 4a (the size in the up-down direction), so that the second protrusion 4b can abut against the lower surface of the seat body 50, or in other words, the second protrusion 4b can abut against the top surface of the support space 49, as shown in FIG. Figure 4AAs shown, the seat body 50 is clamped by the second limiting portion 44 and the second protrusion 4b. Even if the dimension of the second limiting portion 44 extending in the left-right direction is smaller than the dimension of the second baffle 42 extending in the left-right direction, or even if the dimension of the restricted portion 55 extending in the left-right direction is smaller than the dimension of the second baffle 42 extending in the left-right direction, the chip seat 5 can be stably supported by the second protrusion 4b.

[0066] like Figure 2 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4A 、 Figure 5A 、 Figure 5B and Figure 5C As shown, the first baffle 41 is set on the left side of the figure, however, the positions of the first baffle 41 and the second baffle 42 can also be interchanged. However, no matter where the first baffle 41 is set, the first limiting portion 43 connected to the first baffle 41 is always higher than the second limiting portion 44 connected to the second baffle 42. When installing the chip holder 5, one end of the chip holder 5 is always installed in the space between the first limiting portion 43 and the bracket body 40 first, and then swung around the contact point P. It can be seen that the relationship between the above-mentioned first protrusion 4a and the second protrusion 4b can also be described as: along the front-to-back direction, the protrusion closer to the first limiting portion 43 has a larger left-right dimension in the left-right direction than the protrusion farther away from the first limiting portion 43, and the protrusion farther away from the first limiting portion 43 has a larger up-down dimension in the up-down direction than the protrusion closer to the first limiting portion 43.

[0067] [How to recycle ink cartridges and install chip kits]

[0068] According to the concept of the present invention, the present invention provides the following ink cartridge regeneration method, which is used to convert an original ink cartridge into a regenerated ink cartridge. The specific method is:

[0069] Steps for preparing the housing 1 and the bracket 4 of the remanufactured ink cartridge;

[0070] The step of obtaining the chip assembly CA is to cut the original ink cartridge shell and separate the chip 6 and a part of the original ink cartridge shell from the original ink cartridge shell;

[0071] The step of assembling the chip unit 3 is to mount the chip assembly CA on the prepared bracket 4 to form the chip unit 3;

[0072] The step of installing the chip unit 3 is to install the chip unit 3 on the housing 1 of the prepared remanufactured ink cartridge.

[0073] The shell 1 of the regenerated ink cartridge can be from an original ink cartridge or newly manufactured. When the shell 1 of the regenerated ink cartridge is from an original ink cartridge, the steps of cleaning and drying the shell of the original ink cartridge are also included.

[0074] In the step of obtaining the chip assembly CA, the part of the original ink cartridge shell that is cut off is the chip seat 5. This step also includes the step of further processing the chip seat 5 formed by cutting the original ink cartridge shell, for example, the step of trimming the burrs of the chip seat 5, the step of cutting the chip seat 5 to form the first supported portion 51 and the second supported portion 52, etc. In a possible embodiment, the first supported portion 51 and the second supported portion 52 can also be formed at the same time as the chip seat 5 is cut off from the original ink cartridge shell.

[0075] The step of assembling the chip unit 3 may be performed before or after the bracket 4 is mounted to the housing 1 of the remanufactured ink cartridge.

[0076] According to the above description, the steps of assembling the chip unit 3, or the method of mounting the chip assembly CA on the bracket 4, are as follows:

[0077] In a pre-positioning step, the chip holder 5 is adjusted to be tilted relative to the front-to-back direction so that one end of the chip holder 5 is inserted into the support space 49, the space between the first limiting portion 43 and the bracket body 40, until the chip holder 5 abuts against the bracket 4 at the rotation point P;

[0078] Pressing step, pressing the other end of the chip holder 5 that does not enter the support space 49;

[0079] In the swinging step, the chip holder 5 is swung left and right with the rotation point P as the fulcrum, while continuing to press down the other end of the chip holder 5 that has not entered the support space 49 until the restricted portion 55 reaches a position below the second restricting portion 44 .

[0080] Among them, in the pre-positioning step, no matter whether the first limiting portion 43 is set on the first baffle 41 located in the front or on the second baffle 42 located in the rear, one end of the chip holder 5 is always inserted into the space between the first limiting portion 43 and the bracket body 40 first. Through the setting of the above-mentioned protrusion, the chip holder 5 is finally stably positioned on the bracket 4.

[0081] Beneficial effects

[0082] 1. Since the chip holder 5 comes from the original ink cartridge housing, not only can the original ink cartridge housing be reused, but the chip 6 can also be prevented from being damaged.

[0083] 2. When multiple protrusions are provided, along the front-to-back direction, the protrusion closer to the first limiting portion 43 has a larger left-to-right dimension than the protrusion farther away from the first limiting portion 43. This design enables the chip holder 5 to swing to the maximum angle, thereby preventing interference between the restricted portion 55 and the second limiting portion 44.

[0084] 3. When multiple protrusions are provided, along the front-to-back direction, the size of the protrusion farther away from the first limiting portion 43 in the up-down direction is larger than the size of the protrusion closer to the first limiting portion 43 in the up-down direction. This design allows the chip holder 5 / seat body 50 to be supported at the end farther away from the first limiting portion 43 by the protrusion farther away from the first limiting portion 43, so that the chip holder 5 / seat body 50 can be stably positioned on the bracket 4.

[0085] In addition, since the protrusion closer to the first limiting portion 43 is closer to the abutment point P than the protrusion farther from the first limiting portion 43 , this design can also prevent the swinging chip holder 5 / holder body 50 from interfering with the protrusion closer to the first limiting portion 43 .

[0086] 4. Combining points 2 and 3 above, when multiple protrusions are provided, along the front-to-back direction, the left and right ends of the protrusions closer to the first limiting portion 43 have smaller dimensions in the front-to-back direction than the left and right ends of the protrusions farther from the first limiting portion 43. This design not only increases the swing angle of the chip holder 5, but also increases the contact area between the protrusions farther from the first limiting portion 43 and the chip holder 5 / seat body 50, thereby making the chip holder 5 / seat body 50 more stably positioned on the bracket 4.

[0087] As described above, the bracket 4 can be provided with two protrusions including the above-mentioned first protrusion 4a and the second protrusion 4b, and more protrusions can be provided. On the contrary, the protrusion can also be provided with only one, for example, the above-mentioned first protrusion 4a and the second protrusion 4b are formed into one body. At this time, the first protrusion 4a will form the front part of the protrusion closer to the first limiting part 43, and the second protrusion 4b will form the rear part of the protrusion farther away from the first limiting part 43. Along the front-to-back direction, the left-right direction and the up-down direction, the size of the front part and the size of the rear part can meet the above records and can also produce the above-mentioned beneficial effects.

Claims

1. A bracket for supporting a chip assembly, the chip assembly comprising a base, a first supported portion, a second supported portion, and a restricted portion, wherein the first supported portion, the second supported portion, and the restricted portion are all connected to the base, and the first supported portion and the second supported portion are spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other in the left-right direction, and the first supported portion and the second supported portion are both extended downward from the base, forming a supported space therebetween; characterized in that: The bracket includes: stent body; The first baffle and the second baffle are both connected to the bracket body, and the first baffle and the second baffle are arranged opposite to each other with a support space formed therebetween; The first limiting portion is connected to the first baffle and extends from the first baffle toward the second baffle, and the first limiting portion and the bracket body are arranged opposite to each other with a gap between them; a second limiting portion connected to the second baffle and extending from the second baffle toward the first baffle, with the second limiting portion and the bracket body spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other, and the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion also spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other, and the first limiting portion is higher than the second limiting portion in the vertical direction; At least one protrusion is arranged in the supporting space and can enter the supported space. Along the front-to-back direction, the size of the front part closer to the first limiting part in the left-right direction is larger than the size of the rear part farther away from the first limiting part in the left-right direction, the size of the rear part farther away from the first limiting part in the up-down direction is larger than the size of the front part closer to the first limiting part in the up-down direction, and the sizes of the left and right ends of the front part closer to the first limiting part in the front-to-back direction are smaller than the sizes of the left and right ends of the rear part farther away from the first limiting part in the front-to-back direction.

2. A bracket for supporting a chip assembly, wherein the chip assembly includes a base, a first supported portion, a second supported portion, and a restricted portion, wherein the first supported portion, the second supported portion, and the restricted portion are all connected to the base, and the first supported portion and the second supported portion are both extended downward from the base in the left-right direction, and the first supported portion and the second supported portion are spaced apart and arranged relative to each other, forming a supported space therebetween; characterized in that: The bracket includes: stent body; The first baffle and the second baffle are both connected to the bracket body, and the first baffle and the second baffle are arranged opposite to each other with a support space formed therebetween; The first limiting portion is connected to the first baffle and extends from the first baffle toward the second baffle, and the first limiting portion and the bracket body are arranged opposite to each other with a gap between them; a second limiting portion connected to the second baffle and extending from the second baffle toward the first baffle, with the second limiting portion and the bracket body spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other, and the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion also spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other, and the first limiting portion is higher than the second limiting portion in the vertical direction; The first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged in the supporting space and can enter the supported space. They are arranged at intervals along the front-to-back direction. The first protrusion is closer to the first limiting part than the second protrusion. The size of the first protrusion in the left-right direction is larger than the size of the second protrusion in the left-right direction. The size of the second protrusion in the up-down direction is larger than the size of the first protrusion in the up-down direction. The size of the left and right ends of the first protrusion in the front-to-back direction is smaller than the size of the left and right ends of the second protrusion in the front-to-back direction.

3. The bracket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In the left-right direction, the second restricting portion extends to a smaller extent than the second barrier plate.

4. The bracket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The left end of the chip assembly does not exceed the left end of the bracket body, and the right end of the chip assembly does not exceed the right end of the bracket body.

5. The bracket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The bracket also includes: a first supporting portion formed between a left end of the protruding portion and a left end of the bracket body, for supporting the first supported portion; The second supporting portion is formed between the right end of the protruding portion and the right end of the bracket body, and is used to support the second supported portion.

6. Chip unit, characterized in that, The chip unit includes a chip assembly and a bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the chip assembly is supported by the bracket.

7. A remanufactured ink cartridge, detachably mounted in an imaging device provided with a stylus, characterized in that: Remanufactured ink cartridges include: a housing for containing ink; A chip unit is mounted on the housing, the chip unit comprising a chip assembly and a bracket as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, the chip assembly being supported by the bracket, and the chip assembly being used to form electrical contact with the contact pin, so that the regenerated ink cartridge establishes a communication connection with the imaging device.

8. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 7, wherein: Chip components include: a chip for making electrical contact with the contact pins; The chip seat is used to support the chip, and the chip seat comes from an original ink cartridge that has been used at least once and recycled.

9. A method for regenerating an ink cartridge, wherein an original ink cartridge that has been used at least once and recycled is regenerated into a regenerated ink cartridge, wherein the original ink cartridge comprises an original ink cartridge housing and a chip mounted on the original ink cartridge housing, wherein: The regeneration method comprises: The step of preparing a housing of a regenerated ink cartridge and a bracket as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5; The step of obtaining the chip assembly, cutting the original ink cartridge shell, and separating the chip and a portion of the original ink cartridge shell from the original ink cartridge shell; a step of assembling the chip unit, mounting the chip assembly on a prepared bracket to form a chip unit; The step of installing the chip unit is to install the chip unit on the shell of the prepared regenerated ink cartridge.

10. The ink cartridge regeneration method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The shell of the remanufactured ink cartridge comes from the original cartridge shell or is newly manufactured.

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