A printing cartridge

Abstract

This invention provides a printer ink cartridge, including an ink storage chamber, a printer ink outlet located below the ink storage chamber, and a connecting channel between the ink storage chamber and the printer ink outlet. The ink storage chamber is internally divided by a T-shaped partition into a first ink storage chamber at the front, and a second and third ink storage chamber located parallel to the rear of the first ink storage chamber. The bottoms of the first, second, and third ink storage chambers are respectively provided with a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet. The connecting channel is appropriately provided with a first connecting channel, a second connecting channel, and a third connecting channel. The second and third outlets are located on the sides of the second and third ink storage chambers near the T-shaped partition. The printer ink outlet is located on the lower side of the ink storage chamber near the first ink storage chamber. The second and third connecting channels extend forward from the lower ends of the second and third outlets, connecting to the printer ink outlet. This reduces the ink flow path, decreases transport resistance, and facilitates ink discharge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of printing equipment technology, and specifically relates to a printing ink cartridge. Background Technology

[0002] Inkjet printing technology, with its advantages of high printing accuracy, excellent color reproduction, and low equipment purchase cost, has become the mainstream technology in home, office, and small business printing. As the core consumable of inkjet printers, the ink cartridge's structure directly determines printing performance.

[0003] To increase the ink capacity of a single ink cartridge or achieve independent storage of multiple colors of ink, existing technologies generally employ a multi-cavity ink storage design, with the mainstream structures falling into two categories: parallel and series. Parallel multi-cavity ink cartridges arrange multiple ink storage cavities side-by-side horizontally or vertically, with each cavity connected to the bottom ink outlet via an independent flow channel. However, when the ink outlet is offset, the flow channels in the ink storage cavities furthest from the outlet become excessively long, increasing fluid resistance and resulting in high ink residue and waste. Furthermore, different flow channel lengths lead to inconsistent ink pressure and flow rate in each cavity, easily causing problems such as color differences and uneven line thickness in printing.

[0004] Serial multi-chamber ink cartridges connect the ink storage chambers in series along the direction of ink flow. The ink in the front chamber is exhausted before the ink in the rear chamber is replenished. Although this can improve ink utilization to a certain extent, the ink output pressure will fluctuate with the switching of ink storage chambers, which can easily lead to printing failures such as ink shortage and ink splatter.

[0005] Furthermore, the flow channels of existing multi-cavity ink cartridges are mostly designed with right-angle bends, which easily create ink dead zones and air bubbles at the corners. Ink dead zones further reduce ink utilization, while trapped air bubbles, after entering the print head with the ink, can cause defects such as broken lines and white spots, and in severe cases, can even clog the print head, shortening the lifespan of the ink cartridge and the printer.

[0006] With the development of portable printers and miniaturized ink cartridges, higher demands have been placed on the compactness of ink cartridge structures and ink utilization rates. Existing multi-cavity ink cartridge structures cannot simultaneously meet the requirements of compact structure, high ink utilization rate, and uniform and stable ink output. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new type of printing ink cartridge structure to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides an ink cartridge that features a compact structure, high ink utilization, and uniform and stable ink output.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is accomplished by the following specific technical means:

[0009] A printer ink cartridge includes an ink storage chamber, a printer ink outlet located below the ink storage chamber, and a connecting channel connecting the ink storage chamber and the printer ink outlet.

[0010] The ink storage chamber is internally divided by a T-shaped partition into a first ink storage chamber located at the front, and a second and a third ink storage chamber located side by side behind the first ink storage chamber. The bottoms of the first, second, and third ink storage chambers are respectively provided with a first outlet, a second outlet, and a third outlet. The connecting channels are correspondingly provided with a first connecting channel, a second connecting channel, and a third connecting channel. The second and third outlets are located on the sides of the second and third ink storage chambers near the T-shaped partition. The printing ink outlet is located on the lower side of the ink storage chamber, near the first ink storage chamber. The second and third connecting channels extend forward from the lower ends of the second and third outlets, connecting to the printing ink outlet.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) The ink storage chamber is divided into sections by a T-shaped separator to form a cavity layout with a single cavity on the front and a double cavity on the rear. The ink outlets of the two ink storage chambers on the rear are set close to the separator structure and connected to the ink outlet end through a forward-inclined connecting channel. This can reduce the ink flow path, reduce the fluid transport resistance, facilitate the full flow of ink in the cavity, reduce the ink retention, and improve the overall ink utilization efficiency. (2) Each ink storage chamber is set with an independent connecting channel. The two sets of inclined channels on the rear are arranged in the same way, so that the flow resistance of multiple ink transport paths tends to be uniform. This can ensure that the ink outlet pressure of multiple cavities is balanced and stable, avoid the printing color difference, uneven text, and other defects caused by the difference in ink flow rate, and improve the overall printing quality. (3) The rear connecting channel is laid out in a sloping and smooth manner. Compared with the traditional right-angle bent channel structure, it can reduce the generation of turbulence inside the channel, avoid the problem of bubble accumulation and retention, reduce the situation of bubbles entering the printing end with the ink, reduce the probability of printing line breakage, poor ink output and other failures, and ensure stable ink output of the ink cartridge for a long time. (4) The overall cavity layout is neat and compact, with high space utilization, which facilitates the overall miniaturization and integration of the ink cartridge, and is compatible with the assembly and use of various compact inkjet printing equipment; at the same time, the overall cavity and the partition structure are easy to be integrally molded, with a simple structure and convenient assembly, which can simplify the production process and reduce the product processing and manufacturing cost.

[0012] Furthermore, the inclined flow channel includes a connecting section at the top and a first uniformly distributed section at the bottom. The angle between the axis of the connecting section and the vertical direction is α, where α ∈ [25°, 60°], to ensure smooth ink flow.

[0013] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the first uniformly distributed section expands from top to bottom, forming a flared shape, which allows the ink to be evenly distributed at the printing nozzle, while the flared shape can prevent the formation of air bubbles.

[0014] Furthermore, the ink outlets are respectively provided with a first ink outlet, a second ink outlet, and a third ink outlet corresponding to the first connecting channel, the second connecting channel, and the third connecting channel, so that each flow channel is independent, the ink flow is stable, and collisions and compressions are avoided to prevent air bubbles from forming.

[0015] Furthermore, in the case where the first uniformly distributed section is flared, the rear inner wall of the first uniformly distributed section is located above the rear inner wall of the corresponding ink outlet and is perpendicular to the corresponding ink outlet. The first uniformly distributed section is flared and tilted forward, which satisfies the flared requirement while enhancing the compactness of the structure.

[0016] Furthermore, the first connecting channel includes an upper vertical section and a lower, flared second uniformly distributed section. The inner wall of the front side of the first uniformly distributed section is located above the inner wall of the front side of the corresponding ink outlet and is perpendicular to the corresponding ink outlet. The second uniformly distributed section is flared backward in the opposite direction to the first uniformly distributed section to ensure the uniformity of ink output between each ink outlet.

[0017] Furthermore, the inner opening end of the first outlet is provided with an inclined surface. The inclined surface starts from the outer edge of the first outlet and slopes inward toward the central axis of the first outlet to form a converging slope. The inclined converging slope formed on the inner side of the first outlet can gather and guide the flowing ink, so that the ink is concentrated and converged to form a regular ink flow channel. This abandons the traditional straight-through structure and avoids the problems of ink dispersion, overflow and deviation, and uneven ink thickness. It makes the ink flow pattern more concentrated and smooth, and improves the ink uniformity and stability of use.

[0018] Furthermore, the second connecting channel and the third connecting channel are symmetrically distributed, and the paths of the second connecting channel and the third connecting channel gradually converge from the outside to the inside; the symmetrical distribution of the second connecting channel and the third connecting channel, and the symmetrical and identical arrangement structure can ensure that the ink flow at the two locations is balanced and stable, and both channels converge towards the direction of the first flow channel, reducing the flow time.

[0019] Furthermore, the first connecting channel, the second connecting channel, and the third connecting channel are provided with reinforcing ribs; the outer surfaces of the first connecting channel, the second connecting channel, and the third connecting channel are provided with reinforcing ribs, the purpose of which is to make the channels more robust and less prone to damage.

[0020] Furthermore, the ink storage cavity, the printing ink outlet, and the connecting channel are connected and interpenetrating, facilitating their integral molding. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 An exploded view of the printing ink cartridge provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first ink storage cavity, the second ink storage cavity, and the third ink storage cavity provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first ink outlet, the second ink outlet, and the third ink outlet provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the third communication channel provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connected segment and the first uniformly distributed segment provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the segment with an angle α between its axis and the vertical direction, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first communication channel provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the gradually narrowing paths of the second and third connecting channels provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0029] In the diagram, the correspondence between component names and drawing numbers is as follows:

[0030] 12. T-shaped separator; 101. First ink storage chamber; 101-A. First outlet; 101-B. First connecting channel; 102. Second ink storage chamber; 102-A. Second outlet; 102-B. Second connecting channel; 103. Third ink storage chamber; 103-A. Third outlet; 103-B. Third connecting channel; 104. Connecting section; 105. First uniformly distributed section; 13. First ink outlet; 14. Second ink outlet; 15. Third ink outlet; 16. Vertical section; 17. Second uniformly distributed section. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0032] See Figure 1 - Figure 5This application provides a printer ink cartridge that improves upon the shortcomings of traditional printer ink cartridges through the internal structure of the ink storage cavity and the arrangement of the connecting channels. A T-shaped partition 12 is provided inside the ink storage cavity to divide it into two chambers: a first ink storage cavity 101 at the front, and a second ink storage cavity 102 and a third ink storage cavity 103 located parallel to the rear of the first ink storage cavity 101. This T-shaped partition 12 divides the ink storage cavity into two sections, forming a single-cavity front and dual-cavity rear structure. The ink outlets of the two rear ink storage cavities... The second outlet 102-A and the third outlet 103-A are respectively located on the side of the second ink storage chamber 102 and the third ink storage chamber 103 near the T-shaped separator 12, and are connected to the printing ink outlet through a forward-sloping connecting channel. This can reduce the flow path of ink in the chamber and reduce the resistance in the fluid transportation process, thereby facilitating the full drainage of ink in the chamber, reducing the amount of ink remaining in the chamber, and thus improving the overall ink utilization efficiency. This solves the problem of excessive ink residue and serious waste in traditional ink cartridges.

[0033] Each ink storage chamber is equipped with an independent connecting channel. The inclined flow channel layout of the second connecting channel 102-B and the third connecting channel 103-B on the rear side is completely consistent, which makes the flow resistance of the multiple ink delivery paths tend to be uniform. This ensures that the ink output pressure of the multiple chambers remains balanced and stable, avoids printing color difference, uneven text, and other defects caused by differences in ink output velocity, improves the overall printing quality, and solves the problem of unstable printing quality caused by uneven ink output pressure in traditional ink cartridges.

[0034] The rear connecting channel is arranged in a sloping and smooth manner. Compared with the traditional right-angle bent channel structure, the sloping channel can reduce the generation of turbulence inside the channel and avoid the problem of air bubbles accumulating and stagnating in the channel. This reduces the possibility of air bubbles entering the printing end with the ink, lowers the probability of printing line breakage, poor ink flow and other failures, and effectively ensures that the ink cartridge can perform ink flow operation stably for a long time. It solves the problem that air bubbles affect the ink flow stability of traditional ink cartridges due to unreasonable channel structure.

[0035] See Figure 6 The inclined flow channel includes an upper connecting section 104 and a lower first uniform distribution section 105. The angle between the axis of the connecting section 104 and the vertical direction is α, which is limited to the range of [25°, 60°] to ensure the smoothest flow of ink. The inner diameter of the first uniform distribution section 105 gradually increases from top to bottom, presenting a flared shape. This flared shape not only allows the ink to be evenly distributed at the ink outlet, ensuring uniform ink output during printing, but also prevents the formation of air bubbles, further ensuring the stability of ink output.

[0036] See Figure 1 - Figure 5 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 In terms of the ink outlet settings, a first ink outlet 13, a second ink outlet 14, and a third ink outlet 15 are respectively provided for the first connecting channel 101-B, the second connecting channel 102-B, and the third connecting channel 103-B. This makes each flow channel independent of the others, and the ink does not interfere with each other during the flow process. It can flow stably and avoid the generation of air bubbles due to mutual collision and compression, thereby further improving the stability of ink output and printing quality.

[0037] In the case where the first uniform distribution section 105 is flared, the rear inner wall of the first uniform distribution section 105 is located above the rear inner wall of the corresponding ink outlet and is perpendicular to the corresponding ink outlet. The first uniform distribution section 105 is flared in a forward-tilted shape, which not only meets the requirements of the flared shape, but also enhances the compactness of the structure and makes the space utilization of the entire ink cartridge more reasonable.

[0038] The first connecting channel 101-B is also configured to include an upper vertical section 16 and a lower flared second uniform distribution section 17. The inner wall of the front side of the first uniform distribution section 105 is located above the inner wall of the front side of the corresponding ink outlet and is perpendicular to the corresponding ink outlet. The second uniform distribution section 17 is flared backward in the opposite direction to the first uniform distribution section 105, which can ensure the uniformity of ink output between each ink outlet. This ensures that the ink flowing from any ink storage chamber can maintain a consistent flow rate and velocity when it reaches the printing ink outlet, further improving the stability and quality of printing.

[0039] The first outlet 101-A has an inclined surface at its inner opening end. This inclined surface slopes inward from the outer edge of the first outlet 101-A towards its central axis, forming a converging slope. This inclined converging slope formed on the inner side of the first outlet 101-A can gather and guide the flowing ink, causing the ink to concentrate and form a regular ink flow channel. This abandons the traditional straight-through structure and avoids problems such as ink dispersion, overflow, and uneven ink thickness during ink output. It makes the ink output pattern more concentrated and smooth, improving the uniformity of ink output and the stability of use.

[0040] The paths of the second connecting channel 102-B and the third connecting channel 103-B are both arranged to gradually converge from the outside in, and both channels are oriented towards the first flow channel 101-B, reducing ink flow time. When ink enters these two channels from the outside, as the channels gradually converge from the outside in, the ink will gradually move closer together during the flow process, and the flow direction will be more concentrated, reducing unnecessary travel losses caused by path dispersion. Moreover, the convergence towards the first flow channel 101-B allows the ink to merge more quickly with the ink in the first flow channel 101-B, realizing ink integration and transfer, improving overall flow efficiency, and avoiding long-term ink retention in the channels.

[0041] In addition, reinforcing ribs are provided on the outer surfaces of the first connecting channel 101-B, the second connecting channel 102-B, and the third connecting channel 103-B. The reinforcing ribs are not shown in the figure. The purpose of providing the reinforcing ribs is to enhance the structural strength of the channels, making them more robust and durable, and less likely to be damaged during the production, transportation, and use of the ink cartridge, thereby extending the service life of the ink cartridge and ensuring its stable performance.

[0042] Working principle: When the printer cartridge is working, the ink storage chamber is divided into a front first ink storage chamber 101 and two rear parallel ink storage chambers 102 and 103 with the same volume under the action of the internal T-shaped divider 12. Each chamber has an outlet at the bottom. When the printing task is started, the ink in the first ink storage chamber 101 flows to the ink outlet through the first connecting channel 101-B, which contains a vertical section 16 and a backward-sloping flared second uniform distribution section 17. At the same time, the converging slope inside the first outlet 101-A gathers the ink to ensure uniform ink output. The ink in the second ink storage chamber 102 and the third ink storage chamber 103 flows to the ink outlet through the structurally similar second connecting channel 102-B and third connecting channel 103-B, respectively, namely the connecting section 104 with an upper angle α (α∈[25°, 60°]) with the vertical direction and the lower forward-sloping flared first uniform distribution section 105 that avoids the formation of air bubbles.

[0043] Each ink outlet has a first ink outlet 13, a second ink outlet 14, and a third ink outlet 15 corresponding to each channel, ensuring stable ink flow. Furthermore, the interconnected channels unify the resistance of the multiple ink streams and balance the ink pressure, preventing issues such as color differences in printing. In addition, the smoothly sloping rear-side interconnected channels reduce turbulence and air bubble accumulation, ensuring stable ink output over a long period. Finally, the three ink streams flow out from their respective outlets to complete the printing process.

[0044] The embodiments of the present invention are given for illustrative and descriptive purposes only, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to better illustrate the principles and practical application of the invention, and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the invention and to provide various embodiments with various modifications suitable for a particular purpose.

Claims

1. A printer ink cartridge, characterized in that: It includes an ink storage chamber, a printout port located below the ink storage chamber, and a connecting channel between the ink storage chamber and the printout port; The ink storage cavity is provided with a T-shaped partition (12) to divide the ink storage cavity into a first ink storage cavity (101) located at the front, and a second ink storage cavity (102) and a third ink storage cavity (103) located side by side behind the first ink storage cavity (101). The bottom of the first ink storage cavity (101), the second ink storage cavity (102), and the third ink storage cavity (103) are respectively provided with a first outlet (101-A), a second outlet (102-A), and a third outlet (103-A); The connecting channel is adapted to have a first connecting channel (101-B), a second connecting channel (102-B), and a third connecting channel (103-B); the second outlet (102-A) and the third outlet (103-A) are respectively located on the side of the second ink storage cavity (102) and the third ink storage cavity (103) near the T-shaped separator (12); The ink outlet is located on the side of the lower part of the ink storage chamber, close to the first ink storage chamber (101). The second connecting channel (102-B) and the third connecting channel (103-B) are inclined forward from the lower ends of the second outlet (102-A) and the third outlet (103-A) to form an inclined flow channel, which is connected to the ink outlet.

2. A printing ink cartridge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The inclined channel includes an upper connecting section (104) and a lower first uniformly distributed section (105), wherein the angle between the axis of the connecting section (104) and the vertical direction is α, where α ∈ [25°, 60°].

3. A printer ink cartridge as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the first uniformly distributed section (105) expands from top to bottom, forming a flared shape.

4. A printing ink cartridge as described in claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The ink outlets are respectively provided with a first ink outlet (13), a second ink outlet (14), and a third ink outlet (15) in the first connecting channel (101-B), the second connecting channel (102-B), and the third connecting channel (103-B).

5. A printing ink cartridge as described in claim 2, characterized in that: In the case where the first uniform distribution section (105) is flared, the rear inner wall of the first uniform distribution section (105) is located above the rear inner wall of the corresponding ink outlet and is perpendicular to the corresponding ink outlet. The first uniform distribution section (105) is flared and tilted forward.

6. A printer cartridge as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The first connecting channel (101-B) includes an upper vertical section (16) and a lower flared second uniformly distributed section (17). The inner wall of the front side of the first uniformly distributed section (105) is located above the inner wall of the front side of the corresponding ink outlet and is perpendicular to the corresponding ink outlet. The second uniformly distributed section (17) is flared backward in the opposite direction to the first uniformly distributed section (105).

7. A printer cartridge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The inner opening end of the first outlet (101-A) is provided with an inclined surface. The inclined surface starts from the outer edge of the first outlet (101-A) and slopes inward toward the central axis of the first outlet (101-A) to form a converging slope.

8. A printer cartridge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The second connecting channel (102-B) and the third connecting channel (103-B) are symmetrically distributed, and the paths of the second connecting channel (102-B) and the third connecting channel (103-B) gradually converge from the outside to the inside.

9. A printer cartridge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surfaces of the first connecting channel (101-B), the second connecting channel (102-B), and the third connecting channel (103-B) are provided with reinforcing ribs.

10. A printer cartridge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The ink storage chamber, the printing ink outlet, and the connecting channel are integrally formed.

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