Ink box and automatic ink feeding system
By using metal shrapnel and magnetic mechanism in the ink cartridge, the problem of fast ink consumption of TIJ small ink cartridge and inaccurate detection when the ink cartridge position is reversed, and the effect of accurate ink status detection of the ink cartridge at any position is achieved and the effect of reducing user costs is achieved. .
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202420987439.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-05-08
AI Technical Summary
The ink capsules of the existing TIJ small ink cartridges are small in size, which leads to fast ink consumption, and requires frequent replacement of ink cartridges, which is inconvenient to use and high user costs; and, when the existing ink cartridges are reversed, the magnetic block cannot accurately detect the ink state, resulting in Not working properly.
A new ink cartridge was designed, using metal shrapnel and magnetic mechanism. The metal shrapnel stretches and contracts according to the ink amount. The magnetic mechanism moves along the metal shrapnel. The distance between the reed tube and the magnetic mechanism changes with the ink amount. When the controller detects the state of the reed tube. Not affected by the position of the cartridge.
It realizes accurate detection of the ink state of the ink cartridge at any position, avoids the inconvenience of frequent replacement of the ink cartridge, reduces user costs, and improves the convenience of the ink cartridge.
Smart Images
Figure CN222495846U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of inkjet marking, in particular to an ink cartridge and an automatic ink feeding system. Background Art
[0002] Handheld inkjet printers usually use TIJ (thermal inkjet technology) small ink cartridges as their ink supply system. However, due to the small size of the ink sac of the TIJ small ink cartridge, the ink consumption rate of the ink cartridge is fast, and the ink cartridge needs to be replaced frequently, which is inconvenient to use. Frequent replacement of ink cartridges also increases the cost of using handheld inkjet printers.
[0003] There is an ink cartridge that uses a reed switch to detect the ink status in real time. It is connected to the ink cartridge body and the ink cartridge chip on the ink cartridge body. The ink cartridge chip is connected to the reed switch. A magnetic block that cooperates with the reed switch to control the conduction or disconnection of the reed switch floats in the ink cavity in the ink cartridge body. The ink cartridge can be filled with ink when there is no ink in the ink cartridge. After the ink level drops to a predetermined water level line, the magnetic block of the ink cartridge drops as the amount of ink decreases. When the magnetic block drops to a certain height and the distance from the reed switch is close, the state of the reed switch changes. When the ink cartridge chip detects the closed state of the reed switch, it is confirmed that there is no ink in the ink cartridge.
[0004] However, the magnetic block floats on the ink. When the ink cartridge is turned upside down and the ink is reduced, the magnetic block will move away from the reed switch. At this time, the reed switch changes from a closed state to an open state. At this time, the ink cartridge chip detects that the reed switch has ink, which is inconsistent with the actual situation. As a result, the ink cartridge cannot be detected as having no ink, causing the ink cartridge to fail to work properly. Utility Model Content
[0005] The first object of the utility model is to provide an ink cartridge which can be turned upside down at will.
[0006] The second object of the utility model is to provide an automatic ink feeding system using the ink cartridge.
[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned first purpose, the ink cartridge provided by the utility model can be detachably installed on the inkjet printer, and the ink cartridge comprises: a box body and a cover body, the cover body is arranged on one side of the box body; an inner cavity wall is arranged inside the box body, and a metal spring is arranged on the inner cavity wall, and the metal spring, the inner cavity wall and the box body form an ink storage cavity; an ink outlet is arranged on the first side of the box body; a magnetic mechanism is arranged on the side of the metal spring close to the cover body, the magnetic mechanism is fixed on the metal spring, the magnetic mechanism moves along the expansion and contraction direction of the metal spring, and the metal spring expands and contracts according to the ink amount in the ink storage cavity; a reed switch is arranged on the side of the magnetic mechanism close to the cover body, and the reed switch is fixed on the cover body; the reed switch is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is used to detect the on and off state of the reed switch.
[0008] It can be seen from the above scheme that the metal shrapnel, the inner cavity wall and the box body form an ink storage cavity, wherein the ink storage cavity is a sealed cavity. When the ink is reduced, the metal shrapnel gradually approaches the ink storage cavity as the ink is reduced to form a concave surface; when ink is added to the ink storage cavity, the metal shrapnel moves away from the ink storage cavity to form a convex surface. When the metal shrapnel is telescopically moved, the magnetic mechanism fixed thereon moves with the movement of the metal shrapnel. Since the reed switch is fixed on the cover body, the distance between the reed switch and the magnetic mechanism will change with the amount of ink. Since the magnetic mechanism moves along the moving direction of the metal shrapnel, when the position of the ink cartridge is reversed, since the ink is set in the ink storage cavity, the amount of ink affects the concave and convex of the metal shrapnel, and the concave and convex of the metal shrapnel is not affected by gravity, and the magnetic mechanism will not fall due to gravity. The magnetic mechanism moves according to the movement of the metal shrapnel. The ink cartridge can be reversed at will, and the controller is not affected by the position of the ink cartridge when detecting the closed or disconnected state of the reed switch.
[0009] In a further solution, the magnetic mechanism is arranged in the middle of the metal spring sheet on one side close to the cover body.
[0010] It can be seen that the edge of the metal shrapnel is fixed when connected to the inner cavity wall. When the ink in the ink cavity changes, the middle part of the metal shrapnel is most obviously concave and convex. Therefore, when the magnetic mechanism is set in the middle part above the metal shrapnel, when the ink changes, the moving distance is larger.
[0011] In a further solution, a protrusion mechanism is provided on the first side of the box body, and the ink outlet is provided on the protrusion mechanism; and a limited position surface is provided on the third side of the protrusion mechanism.
[0012] In a further solution, a protective cover is provided on the side of the box body, a limiting mechanism is provided on the first end of the protective cover, and an elastic limiting component is provided on the second end of the protective cover.
[0013] In a further solution, the limiting mechanism is engaged with the limiting surface of the protruding mechanism, and the elastic limiting component is engaged with the second side of the box body.
[0014] It can be seen that the ink outlet is protected by the protective cover and the limiting mechanism can be engaged.
[0015] In a further solution, an external connection mechanism is provided on the third side of the box body, and the external connection mechanism is provided with a first hole; the reed switch is connected to the wire, and the wire passes through the first hole and is connected to the controller.
[0016] It can be seen that the external connection mechanism can be used to connect to an external device, and the wire can pass through the external connection mechanism and be connected to the reed switch.
[0017] In order to achieve the above-mentioned second purpose, the automatic ink supply system provided by the utility model includes an ink storage cartridge and an ink supply tube, and is characterized in that it also includes the above-mentioned ink cartridge, the ink storage cartridge is connected to the ink supply tube, and the ink supply tube is connected to the ink storage cavity; a switch valve is provided on the ink supply tube, and the switch valve is electrically connected to the controller.
[0018] As can be seen from the above scheme, by setting the ink storage box, when the controller detects that there is no ink in the ink box, the ink can be controlled to enter the ink box from the ink storage box by controlling the switch valve. When the controller detects that there is enough ink, the switch valve is closed.
[0019] In a further solution, the external connection mechanism in the ink cartridge is provided with a second hole, and the ink inlet tube passes through the second hole and is connected to the ink storage cartridge.
[0020] It can be seen that by providing the second hole, the ink inlet tube is connected to the ink storage box of the external device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of an ink cartridge embodiment of the utility model.
[0022] Figure 2 It is a structural exploded view of the ink cartridge embodiment of the utility model from the first viewing angle.
[0023] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of an ink cartridge embodiment of the utility model.
[0024] Figure 4 It is a structural exploded view of the ink cartridge embodiment of the utility model from a second viewing angle.
[0025] Figure 5 It is a system structure block diagram of an embodiment of the automatic ink feeding system of the utility model.
[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The ink cartridge 1 of this embodiment is detachably mounted on the inkjet printer, and the ink cartridge 1 comprises a box body 17, a cover body 11, a magnetic mechanism 122, a reed switch 121 and a protective cover 15. The cover body 11 is arranged above the box body 17. The reed switch 121 and the magnetic mechanism 122 are arranged inside the box body. The magnetic mechanism 122 is a magnet.
[0028] See also Figure 3The box body 17 is provided with an inner cavity wall 133, and a metal spring 131 is provided on the inner cavity wall 133. The metal spring 131, the inner cavity wall 133, and the box body 17 form an ink storage cavity 132. The ink storage cavity 132 is a sealed cavity, and the external air cannot enter the ink storage cavity 132. The metal spring 131 expands and contracts according to the amount of ink in the ink storage cavity 132. When the ink decreases, the metal spring 131 gradually approaches the ink storage cavity 132 as the ink decreases to form a concave surface; when ink is added to the ink storage cavity 132, the metal spring moves away from the ink storage cavity 132 to form a convex surface.
[0029] The magnetic mechanism 122 is arranged on the side of the metal spring sheet 131 close to the cover body 11, the magnetic mechanism 122 is fixed on the metal spring sheet 131, and the magnetic mechanism 122 moves along the expansion and contraction direction of the metal spring sheet 131. Further, the magnetic mechanism 122 is arranged in the middle of the side of the metal spring sheet 131 close to the cover body 11. Further, the magnetic mechanism 122 is fixed to the side of the metal spring sheet 131 close to the cover body 11 through the adhesive layer 123. The adhesive layer 123 can be a double-sided adhesive.
[0030] The reed switch 121 is disposed on the side of the magnetic mechanism 122 close to the cover body 11, and the reed switch 121 is fixed on the cover body 11. The reed switch 121 is electrically connected to a controller (not shown in the figure), and the controller is used to detect the on / off state of the reed switch 121.
[0031] Furthermore, an external connection mechanism 18 is provided on the third side of the box body 17, and the external connection mechanism 18 is provided with a first hole (not shown in the figure); the reed switch 121 is connected to a wire, and the wire passes through the first hole and is connected to the controller.
[0032] Since the magnetic mechanism 122 moves along the expansion and contraction direction of the metal spring 131, and the reed switch 121 is fixed on the cover body 11, the distance between the reed switch 121 and the magnetic mechanism 122 will change with the amount of ink in the ink storage cavity 132. When there is no ink, the metal spring 131 is concave, the magnetic mechanism 122 moves with the metal spring 131, the magnetic mechanism 122 is away from the reed switch 121, the switch of the reed switch 121 is in the disconnected state, and when the controller receives that the reed switch is in the disconnected state, it is known that there is no ink in the ink storage cavity 132. If there is ink in the ink storage cavity 132, the metal spring 131 is convex, the magnetic mechanism 122 is close to the reed switch 121, and the switch of the reed switch 121 is in the closed state. When the controller receives that the reed switch is in the closed state, it is known that there is ink in the ink storage cavity 132.
[0033] See also Figure 4The first side of the box body 17 is provided with an ink outlet 161. Further, the first side of the box body 17 is provided with a protrusion mechanism 16, and the ink outlet 161 is provided on the protrusion mechanism 16. The third side of the protrusion mechanism 16 is provided with a limited surface 162. The side of the box body 17 is provided with a protective cover 15. The first end of the protective cover 15 is provided with a limited mechanism 151, and the second end of the protective cover is provided with an elastic limited component 152. The limited mechanism 151 is engaged with the limited surface 162 of the protrusion mechanism 16, and the elastic limited component 152 is engaged with the second side of the box body 17. The protective cover 15 protects the ink outlet 161. When the ink cartridge 1 needs to be used, it can be peeled off from the box body 17 through the elastic limited component 152 for use.
[0034] Since the magnetic mechanism 122 moves along the moving direction of the metal spring 131, when the ink cartridge 1 is reversed, since the ink is set in the ink storage cavity 132, the amount of ink affects the concave and convex of the metal spring, and the concave and convex of the metal spring 131 is not affected by gravity, the magnetic mechanism 122 will not fall due to gravity, and the magnetic mechanism 122 moves according to the movement of the metal spring 131. The ink cartridge of this embodiment can be reversed at will, and the controller is not affected by the position of the ink cartridge when detecting the closed or open state of the reed switch.
[0035] Automatic ink feeding system embodiment:
[0036] See also Figure 2 and Figure 5 The automatic ink feeding system includes a controller 21, a switch valve 23, an ink storage cartridge 24, an ink cartridge 1 and an ink feed tube 125. The ink cartridge 1 is the ink cartridge of the above-mentioned ink cartridge embodiment. The ink storage cartridge 24 is connected to the ink feed tube 125, and the ink feed tube 125 is connected to the ink storage cavity 132 in the ink cartridge 22. Further, the external connection mechanism in the ink cartridge is provided with a second hole (not shown in the figure), and the ink feed tube 125 passes through the second hole and is connected to the ink storage cartridge 24. The switch valve 23 is provided on the ink feed tube, and the controller 21 is electrically connected to the switch valve 23.
[0037] When the controller detects that the reed switch 121 in the ink cartridge 22 is in the closed state, the controller knows that the ink storage cavity 132 is full of ink, that is, the switch valve is controlled to be in the closed state, so that the ink in the ink storage cartridge does not enter the ink storage cavity 132. When the controller detects that the reed switch 121 in the ink cartridge 22 is in the disconnected state, the controller knows that the ink storage cavity 132 is insufficient, and at this time the switch valve is controlled to open, and ink enters the ink storage cavity 132 from the ink storage cartridge.
[0038] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the design concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. Without departing from the concept of the present invention, more other equivalent embodiments may be included. It is possible for those skilled in the art to make various obvious changes, readjustments and substitutions without departing from the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. The ink cartridge can be detachably mounted on the inkjet printer, characterized in that: The ink cartridge comprises a box body and a cover body, wherein the cover body is arranged on one side of the box body; an inner cavity wall is arranged inside the box body, a metal spring is arranged on the inner cavity wall, and the metal spring, the inner cavity wall and the box body form an ink storage cavity; The first side of the box body is provided with an ink outlet; A magnetic mechanism is arranged on the side of the metal spring sheet close to the cover body, the magnetic mechanism is fixed on the metal spring sheet, the magnetic mechanism moves along the expansion and contraction direction of the metal spring sheet, and the metal spring sheet expands and contracts according to the amount of ink in the ink storage cavity; A reed switch is disposed on one side of the magnetic mechanism close to the cover body, and the reed switch is fixed on the cover body; The reed switch is electrically connected to a controller, and the controller is used to detect the on / off state of the reed switch.
2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The magnetic mechanism is arranged at the middle part of the metal spring sheet close to the cover body.
3. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A protrusion mechanism is disposed on the first side of the box body, and the ink outlet is disposed on the protrusion mechanism; A limited surface is arranged on the third side of the protrusion mechanism.
4. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that: A protective cover is arranged on the side of the box body, a limiting mechanism is arranged on the first end of the protective cover, and an elastic limiting component is arranged on the second end of the protective cover.
5. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, characterized in that: The limiting mechanism is engaged with the limiting surface of the protruding mechanism, and the elastic limiting component is engaged with the second side of the box body.
6. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The third side of the box body is provided with an external connection mechanism, and the external connection mechanism is provided with a first hole; The reed switch is connected to a wire, and the wire passes through the first hole and is connected to the controller.
7. Automatic ink feeding system, including ink storage box and ink feeding tube, characterized in that: Also includes the ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ink storage cartridge is connected to an ink inlet tube, and the ink inlet tube is connected to the ink storage cavity; The ink inlet tube is provided with a switch valve, and the switch valve is electrically connected to the controller.
8. The automatic ink feeding system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The external connection mechanism in the ink cartridge is provided with a second hole, and the ink inlet tube passes through the second hole and is connected to the ink storage cartridge.