Regeneration ink box and ink-jet printing equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a regeneration ink box and ink-jet printing equipment, the regeneration ink box comprises a box body, a cover body, a circuit board and a printing nozzle, the box body is provided with an ink storage chamber, the cover body is installed on the box body and covers an opening of the ink storage chamber, the circuit board is installed on the box body and is provided with a first contact group, the printing nozzle is installed on the box body, and the printing nozzle is provided with a second contact group. The regeneration ink box further comprises a switching chip, the switching chip is installed on the circuit board, a second contact set is arranged on the face, facing the circuit board, of the switching chip, the second contact set is electrically connected with the first contact set in a matched mode, a third contact set is arranged on the face, back to the circuit board, of the switching chip, and the third contact set is electrically connected with the third contact set in a matched mode. And the third contact group is electrically connected with the second contact group. The ink-jet printing equipment is provided with the regeneration ink box, and the regeneration ink box can improve the regeneration utilization rate of the color ink box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of ink cartridges, in particular to a regenerated ink cartridge and an inkjet printing device provided with the regenerated ink cartridge. Background Art

[0002] An inkjet printing system generally includes an inkjet printing device and a replaceable ink cartridge. When the remaining amount of printing consumables (such as ink) in the ink cartridge is insufficient, the user can replace the ink cartridge or refill the ink cartridge with printing consumables so that the ink cartridge can continue to be used.

[0003] The ink cartridge has a containing chamber, and a print head and an integrated chip are arranged on the ink cartridge. The print head includes a fluid tube core (also called a fluid jet tube core), which is provided with a fluid channel and a fluid jet actuator to jet ink, and the fluid jet tube core is also provided with a memory unit and an integrated circuit to enable a single or multiple fluid jet actuators; furthermore, a signal contact is also arranged on the ink cartridge to make the ink cartridge cooperate with the corresponding signal contact on the inkjet printing device, so that the integrated circuit communicates with the controller of the inkjet printing device to realize information reading or writing, power supply, etc. The existing ink cartridges mainly include micro-piezoelectric and thermal foaming; among them, the micro-piezoelectric type controls the piezoelectric element (i.e., the fluid jet actuator) by an integrated chip to change the current signal, thereby controlling the piezoelectric element to deform and jet the ink; the thermal foaming type controls the heating component by an integrated chip to vaporize the ink instantly, and uses the vaporization expansion pressure to jet the ink.

[0004] In addition, existing inkjet printing equipment can usually realize black and white printing and color printing, that is, the printing carriage of the inkjet printing equipment is equipped with a black ink cartridge and a color ink cartridge; however, in the daily use of the inkjet printing equipment, most of the printing is in black and white, and the proportion of color printing is very small. Moreover, with the increasing requirements for environmental protection and resource recycling, more and more discarded ink cartridges are recycled to reduce pollution to the environment. Since the usage of black ink cartridges is much greater than that of color ink cartridges, the recycling demand for black ink cartridges is also much greater than that of color ink cartridges. Moreover, when the fluid injection actuator of the print head of the recycled color ink cartridge is partially damaged, the color ink cartridge can only be scrapped and cannot be recycled. Furthermore, due to certain differences between color ink cartridges and black ink cartridges, it is impossible to directly fill the color ink cartridge with exhausted consumables with black ink and then use the color ink cartridge as a black ink cartridge, resulting in a low recycling rate of color ink cartridges. Summary of the invention

[0005] The first object of the utility model is to provide a regenerated ink cartridge which can improve the regeneration rate of the color ink cartridge.

[0006] The second object of the utility model is to provide an inkjet printing device provided with the above-mentioned regenerated ink cartridge.

[0007] In order to achieve the first purpose of the utility model, the utility model provides a regenerated ink cartridge, including a box body, a cover body, a circuit board and a print head, the box body having an ink storage chamber, the cover body being installed on the box body and covering the opening of the ink storage chamber, the circuit board being installed on the box body, the circuit board having a first contact group, the print head being installed on the box body, the print head being communicated with the ink storage chamber and being electrically connected to the circuit board, wherein the regenerated ink cartridge also includes an adapter chip, the adapter chip being installed on the circuit board, the side of the adapter chip facing the circuit board having a second contact group, the second contact group being electrically connected to the first contact group in a matching manner, the side of the adapter chip facing away from the circuit board having a third contact group, the third contact group being electrically connected to the second contact group.

[0008] As can be seen from the above, by setting up an adapter chip, the recycled color ink cartridge can be regenerated into a regenerated ink cartridge that can be used in the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the print carriage. When the regenerated ink cartridge is installed in the black ink cartridge installation cavity, the adapter chip can play a conversion connection role between the fourth contact group in the color ink cartridge and the black ink cartridge installation cavity, so that the inkjet printing device can control the operation of the color ink cartridge through the fourth contact group and the adapter chip, thereby improving the recycling rate of the color ink cartridge.

[0009] A preferred solution is that the adapter chip includes a data modification unit, a nozzle signal conversion unit, an electrical parameter adjustment unit and a logic conversion unit, the data modification unit is electrically connected between the second contact group and the third contact group, the nozzle signal conversion unit is electrically connected between the second contact group and the third contact group, the electrical parameter adjustment unit is electrically connected between the second contact group and the third contact group, and the logic conversion unit is electrically connected between the second contact group and the third contact group.

[0010] As can be seen from the above, the data modification unit is used to rewrite the chip data on the circuit board, such as rewriting the ink volume data and ink cartridge model data of the regenerated ink cartridge after regeneration; the nozzle signal conversion unit is used to convert the black inkjet control signal sent by the inkjet printing device, so that the converted conversion signal can control the regenerated ink cartridge to perform inkjet operation to meet the black and white printing requirements; the electrical parameter adjustment unit is used to adjust the electrical parameters of the chip on the circuit board to ensure the safe and stable operation of the regenerated ink cartridge; the logic conversion unit is used to receive upper-level instructions from the inkjet printing device (such as sent through the fourth contact group in the black ink cartridge installation cavity) and convert them into understandable instructions for the data modification unit, the nozzle signal conversion unit and the electrical parameter adjustment unit, so as to control the regenerated ink cartridge to perform printing operations according to parameters that meet the black and white printing requirements.

[0011] A further solution is that the thickness of the adapter chip is between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm.

[0012] As can be seen from the above, this design ensures that the regenerated ink cartridge can be installed in the black installation cavity of the printing carriage, and enables the adapter chip to be stably and reliably electrically connected to the fourth contact group in the black installation cavity.

[0013] A further solution is that the print head includes three nozzles and three actuator units, the three nozzles and the three actuator units are all distributed along a first direction, the three nozzles and the three actuator units correspond one to one, the nozzle includes a plurality of nozzles distributed along a second direction, the actuator unit includes a plurality of actuators distributed along the second direction, the plurality of actuators correspond one to one with the plurality of nozzles of a corresponding nozzle, the actuator includes two actuator modules, the two actuator modules are distributed on both sides of a corresponding nozzle along the first direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; among every three actuators distributed parallel to the first direction, at least one actuator can work normally.

[0014] As can be seen from the above, when a certain actuator or part of the actuator of the same actuator unit is damaged, as long as the above conditions are met, the color ink cartridge can be regenerated into a regenerated ink cartridge suitable for black and white printing, thereby eliminating the prejudice that the color ink cartridge cannot be recycled when the actuator unit of the existing color ink cartridge is damaged, and ensuring that the regenerated ink cartridge can be normally applied to the black ink cartridge installation cavity of the print carriage to perform black and white printing operations.

[0015] A further solution is that the actuator is a thermal bubble actuator or a piezoelectric actuator.

[0016] As can be seen from the above, the regenerated ink cartridge using the thermal bubble actuator has a higher imaging quality; the regenerated ink cartridge using the piezoelectric actuator has the advantages of fast response speed, low power consumption, etc. in addition to high imaging quality.

[0017] Another preferred solution is that the ink storage chamber is a single cavity; or the ink storage chamber is provided with a partition, which divides the ink storage chamber into three cavities, and a slot group is provided on the partition, which penetrates the partition, and the three cavities are connected through the slot group, and the slot group is arranged near the bottom of the ink storage chamber.

[0018] As can be seen from the above, when the color ink cartridge is recycled, the partition in the ink storage chamber can be directly removed to increase the ink storage capacity of the ink storage chamber and ensure the inkjet effect of the print head; or, a slot hole group can be set on the partition in the ink storage chamber to connect the cavities, thereby increasing the ink storage capacity while ensuring the inkjet effect of the print head.

[0019] A further solution is that a limiting protrusion is provided on the cover body, and a matching groove is provided on the limiting protrusion.

[0020] As can be seen from the above, this design enables the regenerated ink cartridge to better fit into the black ink cartridge installation cavity of the printing carriage.

[0021] A further solution is that the cover body is further provided with an ink filling port, which passes through the cover body and is communicated with the ink storage chamber.

[0022] As can be seen from the above, the design of the ink filling port makes it more convenient to refill the black ink into the recycled color ink cartridge and makes the color ink cartridge recyclable.

[0023] A further solution is that a sealing film label is also provided on the cover body, and the sealing film label covers the ink filling port.

[0024] As can be seen from the above, the sealing film label can prevent the ink in the ink storage chamber from leaking out, and at the same time, the sealing film label can be used to provide the user with relevant information about the regenerated ink cartridge after regeneration.

[0025] In order to achieve another purpose of the utility model, the utility model provides an inkjet printing device, including a printing carriage, the printing carriage having a black ink cartridge installation cavity, wherein the black ink cartridge installation cavity is installed with the above-mentioned regenerated ink cartridge.

[0026] As can be seen from the above, the above-mentioned inkjet printing device can use the regenerated ink cartridges regenerated from the color ink cartridges for black and white printing, which effectively improves the recycling rate of the color ink cartridges and reduces resource waste. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of an existing color ink cartridge from a first-person perspective.

[0028] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of an existing color ink cartridge from a second viewing angle.

[0029] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of an existing black ink cartridge.

[0030] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the regenerated ink cartridge embodiment of the utility model from the first viewing angle.

[0031] Figure 5 It is a structural diagram of the regenerated ink cartridge embodiment of the utility model from a second viewing angle.

[0032] Figure 6 It is an exploded view of an embodiment of the regenerated ink cartridge of the utility model.

[0033] Figure 7 It is a structural diagram of a box body of an embodiment of a regenerated ink cartridge of the utility model.

[0034] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the adapter chip of the regenerated ink cartridge embodiment of the utility model from the first perspective.

[0035] Fig. 9 It is a structural diagram of the adapter chip of the embodiment of the regenerated ink cartridge of the utility model from a second viewing angle.

[0036] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the detection result of the print head of the embodiment of the regenerated ink cartridge of the utility model.

[0037] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram showing that three nozzles and three actuator units of the print nozzle head of the regenerated ink cartridge embodiment of the utility model can form at least one complete row of print nozzles.

[0038] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the structure of the contact group 9111 on the circuit board 911 of the existing color ink cartridge 91 is different from the structure of the contact group 9211 on the circuit board 921 of the existing black ink cartridge 92, so that the existing color ink cartridge 91 cannot be directly applied to the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the print carriage of the inkjet printing device, and communicate with the inkjet printing device through the fourth contact group in the black ink cartridge installation cavity, that is, the inkjet printing device cannot control the color ink cartridge 91 located in the black ink cartridge installation cavity. In addition, the structure of the limiting protrusion 9121 on the cover 912 of the color ink cartridge 91 is also different from the structure of the limiting protrusion 9221 on the cover 922 of the black ink cartridge 92 (for example, the limiting protrusion 9221 on the cover 922 of the black ink cartridge 92 in the present invention is provided with a matching groove 92211, while the limiting protrusion 9121 on the cover 912 of the color ink cartridge 91 has no matching groove structure), so the existing color ink cartridge 91 cannot be installed in the black ink cartridge installation cavity of the printing carriage. Furthermore, the print head 913 of the existing color ink cartridge 91 has three nozzles 9131 and three actuator units, while the print head 923 of the black ink cartridge 92 has one nozzle 9231 and one actuator unit. When the color ink cartridge 91 is currently recycled, if any part of any of the three actuator units of the color ink cartridge 91 is damaged, the color ink cartridge 91 will be discarded and considered as unable to be recycled; and due to the difference between the above-mentioned color ink cartridge 91 and the black ink cartridge 92, it is impossible to directly inject black ink into the color ink cartridge 91 and then regenerate the color ink cartridge 91 into a black regenerated ink cartridge for recycling, which results in a high discard rate and a low recycling rate of the color ink cartridge 91, resulting in serious waste of resources.

[0040] The utility model provides a regeneration method for a color ink cartridge 91, so as to regenerate the color ink cartridge 91 into a regenerated ink cartridge 100 that can replace a black ink cartridge. The regenerated ink cartridge 100 and its regeneration method are described below.

[0041] Remanufactured ink cartridge embodiment

[0042] Reference Figures 4 to 6 The regenerated ink cartridge 100 comprises a box body 1, a cover body 2, a circuit board 3, a print head 4 and a switching chip 5. The regenerated ink cartridge 100 is the name of the color ink cartridge after being regenerated; therefore, the box body of the color ink cartridge is the box body 1 of the regenerated ink cartridge 100 after being regenerated, the cover body of the color ink cartridge is the cover body 2 of the regenerated ink cartridge 100 after being regenerated, and the print head of the color ink cartridge is the print head 4 of the regenerated ink cartridge 100 after being regenerated.

[0043] Combination Figure 7 The box body 1 has an ink storage chamber 11 for storing black ink. Before the box body of the color ink cartridge is redesigned, a partition 12 is provided in the ink storage chamber 11 to separate the ink storage chamber 11 into three cavities for storing inks of different colors.

[0044] In this embodiment, the box body 1 is redesigned as follows: a slot group 121 is provided on the partition 12, the slot group 121 includes at least one slot, the number of slots can be designed differently according to the position of the slot group 121 and the structure of the partition 12, and the slots of the slot group 121 penetrate the partition 12, so that the three cavities are connected through the slot group 121. For example, when the number of the partition 12 is one and the partition 12 is T-shaped, the slot can be provided at the intersection of the first plate body and the second plate body, and the slot penetration part is crossed; for another example, when the number of the partition 12 is two, at least one slot penetrating itself can be provided on each partition 12, so that the three cavities are connected to each other. Preferably, the slots of the slot group 121 are provided close to the bottom of the ink storage chamber 11, so that the ink in the ink storage chamber 11 can flow to the print head 4 more thoroughly and better, while increasing the ink storage capacity of the ink storage chamber 11, the inkjet effect of the print head 4 is guaranteed.

[0045] Of course, as another optional solution, in other embodiments, the box body 1 can also be redesigned as follows: the partition 12 in the ink storage chamber 11 is removed to make the ink storage chamber 11 a single chamber to increase the ink storage capacity of the ink storage chamber 11 and ensure the inkjet effect of the print head 4.

[0046] The cover 2 is mounted on the box body 1, and the cover 2 covers the opening of the ink storage chamber 11 to seal the ink storage chamber 11. Before the cover of the color ink cartridge is regenerated, a limiting protrusion 21 is provided on it to match with the color ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage of the inkjet printing device. In order to make the color ink cartridge suitable for the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage after being regenerated into the regenerated ink cartridge 100, the limiting protrusion 21 on the cover 2 is regenerated as follows: a matching groove 211 is provided on the limiting protrusion 21. Preferably, the matching groove 211 extends along the height direction of the box body 1 and penetrates the limiting protrusion 21, so that the regenerated ink cartridge 100 can be installed in the black ink cartridge installation cavity of the printing carriage.

[0047] In addition, the cover body 2 is provided with an ink filling port 22, which passes through the cover body 2 and is connected to the ink storage chamber 11; the design of the ink filling port 22 makes it more convenient to refill black ink into the recycled color ink cartridge, and the color ink cartridge can be recycled. Furthermore, the cover body 2 is provided with a sealing film label 23, which covers the ink filling port 22; the sealing film label 23 can prevent the ink in the ink storage chamber 11 from leaking out, and at the same time, the sealing film label 23 can provide the user with relevant information about the recycled ink cartridge 100.

[0048] The circuit board 3 is mounted on the box body 1 and electrically connected to the print head 4. Preferably, the circuit board 3 is a flexible circuit board 3. The circuit board 3 has a first contact group 31. Before the color ink cartridge is regenerated, the color ink cartridge is electrically connected to the fifth contact group in the color ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage through the first contact group 31, so that the inkjet printing device controls the color ink cartridge to work through the control unit that controls the black ink cartridge. However, since the structure of the first contact group 31 is different from the structure of the fourth contact group in the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage, and the control system of the circuit board 3 (including chips, circuits, etc.) cannot adapt to the black and white printing control signal of the inkjet printing device, the existing color ink cartridge cannot be used in the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage.

[0049] Combination Figure 8 and Fig. 9 In order to make the color ink cartridge regenerated into a regenerated ink cartridge 100 that can be used in the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage to perform black and white printing, the color ink cartridge is regenerated as follows: an adapter chip 5 is installed on the circuit board 3, wherein a second contact group 51 is provided on a side of the adapter chip 5 facing the first contact group 31 of the circuit board 3, and the structure of the second contact group 51 matches the structure of the first contact group 31, so that the second contact group 51 can be electrically connected to the first contact group 31 in a matching manner; a third contact group 52 is provided on a side of the adapter chip 5 facing away from the first contact group 31 of the circuit board 3, and the third contact group 52 matches the structure of the fourth contact group in the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage, so that when the regenerated ink cartridge 100 is installed in the black ink cartridge installation cavity of the printing carriage, the third contact group 52 can be electrically connected to the fourth contact group in a matching manner.

[0050] The adapter chip 5 includes a data modification unit, a nozzle signal conversion unit, an electrical parameter adjustment unit and a logic conversion unit. The data modification unit is preferably electrically connected between the second contact group 51 and the third contact group 52. The data modification unit is used to rewrite the chip data on the circuit board 3, such as rewriting the ink volume data and the ink cartridge model data of the regenerated ink cartridge 100 after regeneration; the nozzle signal conversion unit is preferably electrically connected between the second contact group 51 and the third contact group 52. The nozzle signal conversion unit is used to convert the black inkjet control signal sent by the inkjet printing device so that the converted conversion signal can control the regenerated ink cartridge 100 to perform inkjet operation to meet the black and white printing requirements; the electrical parameter adjustment unit is electrically connected between the second contact group 51 and the third contact group 52. Between the contact group 51 and the third contact group 52, the electrical parameter adjustment unit is used to adjust the electrical parameters of the chip on the circuit board 3 to ensure the safe and stable operation of the regenerated ink cartridge 100; the logic conversion unit is electrically connected between the second contact group 51 and the third contact group 52, and the logic conversion unit is used to receive the upper layer instructions from the inkjet printing device (such as sent through the fourth contact group in the black ink cartridge installation cavity) and convert them into understandable instructions for the data modification unit, the nozzle signal conversion unit and the electrical parameter adjustment unit, so as to control the regenerated ink cartridge 100 to perform printing operations according to the parameters that meet the black and white printing requirements. It should be noted that the circuit structures of the above-mentioned data modification unit, nozzle signal conversion unit, electrical parameter adjustment unit, logic conversion unit, etc. are prior art, and their functions and principles are well known to those skilled in the art, so they are not described in detail here.

[0051] Preferably, the thickness of the adapter chip 5 is between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm; this design ensures that the regenerated ink cartridge 100 can be installed in the black installation cavity of the printing carriage, and the adapter chip 5 is stably and reliably electrically connected to the fourth contact group in the black installation cavity. Among them, as in the present embodiment, the first contact group 31 on the circuit board 3 is recessed into the circuit board 3 from the side of the circuit board 3 close to the adapter chip 5. Therefore, in order to match the first contact group 31, the second contact group 51 on the adapter chip 5 protrudes from the adapter chip 5 to the first contact group 31 and is located in the recess formed by the recess of the first contact group 31; the third contact group 52 on the adapter chip 5 is recessed from the first surface of the adapter chip 5 facing the fourth contact group to the adapter chip 5; it should be noted that the concave and convex design of the first contact group 31, the second contact group 51 and the third contact group 52 are not limited to the above design, but can be adjusted according to actual conditions. Preferably, the thickness of the adapter chip 5 is between 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm.

[0052] Combination Fig.10Since the color ink cartridge is a three-primary-color integrated cartridge, the print head 4 (i.e., the print head 4 of the regenerated ink cartridge 100, and also the print head 4 of the color ink cartridge) includes three nozzles 41 and three actuator units 420, which are all distributed along the first direction, and the three nozzles 41 and the three actuator units 420 correspond one to one, and the print head 4 is mounted on the cartridge body 1. The nozzle 41 includes a plurality of nozzles distributed along the second direction; the actuator unit 420 includes a plurality of actuators 421 distributed along the second direction, and the plurality of actuators 421 correspond one to one to the plurality of nozzles of a corresponding nozzle 41. The actuator 421 includes two actuator modules, which are distributed on both sides of a corresponding nozzle along the first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0053] In addition, among every three actuators 421 distributed parallel to the first direction, at least one actuator 421 can work normally, such as Fig.10 (b) shown; wherein, Fig.10 In (a), the circle with a cross is a damaged actuator module, and the circle without a cross is an actuator module that can work normally. Fig.11 As shown, in the second direction, three nozzles 41 and three actuator units 420 can form at least one complete column of printing nozzles 41, wherein: Fig.11 Can be regarded as Fig.10 (b) Evolved. It can be seen that when a certain actuator 421 or a certain part of the actuator 421 of the same actuator unit 420 is damaged, as long as the above conditions are met, the color ink cartridge can be regenerated into a regenerated ink cartridge 100 suitable for black and white printing, thereby eliminating the prejudice that the color ink cartridge cannot be recycled when the actuator unit 420 of the existing color ink cartridge is damaged, and ensuring that the regenerated ink cartridge 100 can be normally applied to the black ink cartridge installation cavity of the print carriage to perform black and white printing operations.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the actuator 421 is a thermal bubble actuator 421, and the regenerated ink cartridge 100 using the thermal bubble actuator 421 has higher imaging quality; of course, as an optional solution, in other embodiments, the actuator 421 may also be a piezoelectric actuator 421, and the regenerated ink cartridge 100 using the piezoelectric actuator 421 has the advantages of fast response speed, low power consumption, etc. in addition to high imaging quality.

[0055] In summary, it can be seen that through the design of the regenerated ink cartridge 100, under the action of the adapter chip 5, etc., the recycled color ink cartridge can be regenerated into a regenerated ink cartridge 100 that can be suitable for the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage. When the regenerated ink cartridge 100 is installed in the black ink cartridge installation cavity, the adapter chip 5 can play a conversion connection role between the fourth contact group in the color ink cartridge and the black ink cartridge installation cavity, so that the inkjet printing device can control the operation of the color ink cartridge through the fourth contact group and the adapter chip 5, thereby improving the recycling rate of the color ink cartridge.

[0056] Regeneration method embodiment

[0057] The regenerated ink cartridge 100 and the color ink cartridge described in this embodiment are the regenerated ink cartridge 100 and the color ink cartridge described in the above-mentioned regenerated ink cartridge 100 embodiment, so they are not described again here. The regenerated ink cartridge 100 described in the above-mentioned regenerated ink cartridge 100 embodiment can be regenerated by the regeneration method of this embodiment, and the regeneration method includes at least the following steps:

[0058] To detect whether the print head 4 of the color ink cartridge meets the regeneration requirement, all actuators 421 of the third actuator unit 420 of the print head 4 are tested. For example, every three actuators 421 distributed parallel to the first direction can be tested in turn. If at least one of every three actuators 421 can work normally, the print head 4 meets the regeneration requirement. Fig.10 As shown in (b), if at least one of the three actuators 421 in each row can work normally, it means that the print head 4 meets the regeneration requirement. Fig.10 As shown in (a), the circle with a cross represents a damaged actuator module, and the circle without a cross represents an actuator module that can work normally. When the two actuator modules of the same actuator 421 can work normally, it means that the actuator 421 can work normally.

[0059] For example, in this embodiment, the actuator 421 preferably adopts a hot bubble actuator 421, and its two heating elements (i.e., the actuation module) are located on both sides of a nozzle (not shown) corresponding to the nozzle 41. The heating element is connected to a control tube for receiving a control signal, wherein the control tube is used to control the opening and closing of the heating element, the gate of the control tube is used to receive the control signal, the source and substrate of the control tube are grounded, the drain is connected to the first end of the heating element, and the second end of the heating element is used to receive a preset voltage signal. The control signal is used to control the conduction of the control tube, and the preset voltage signal is used to enable the heating element to work normally when the control is turned on, so that the heating element can heat up rapidly through the thermal effect of the current, so that bubbles are generated in the ink cartridge nozzle, and the ink cartridge is driven to spray ink. When the color ink cartridge is tested by using a detection device, a control signal is input to the control tube, and the heating element feedback signal is used to determine whether the heating element is damaged.

[0060] The print head 4 on the color ink cartridge has three print nozzles 41. When the detection device detects that at least one of the three actuators 421 in each row can work normally (i.e., in the second direction, the actuators 421 can form at least one row of intact print nozzles 41), it means that the print head 4 meets the regeneration requirements; otherwise, the color ink cartridge is a substandard product and needs to be discarded. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the actuator 421 can also be a piezoelectric actuator 421.

[0061] When the print head 4 meets the regeneration requirements, the color ink cartridge is modified so that it can be adapted to the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the print carriage of the inkjet printing device to perform black and white printing; the modification of the color ink cartridge includes:

[0062] The limiting protrusion 21 on the cover body 2 is provided with a matching groove 211 so that the cover body 2 can be matched and connected with the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage.

[0063] An ink filling port 22 is set on the cover body 2, so that the ink filling port 22 passes through the cover body 2 and is connected to the ink storage chamber 11 of the box body 1; wherein, if the ink filling port 22 is originally set on the cover body of the color ink cartridge, there is no need to re-set the ink filling port 22 on the cover body 2.

[0064] A slot group 121 is provided on the partition 12 in the ink storage cavity of the box body 1. The slot group 121 includes at least one slot, and the slot of the slot group 121 penetrates the partition 12, so that the three cavities are connected through the slot group 121. For example, when the number of the partition 12 is one and the partition 12 is T-shaped, the slot can be provided at the intersection of the first plate body and the second plate body, and the slot penetration part is crossed; for another example, when the number of the partition 12 is two, at least one slot penetrating itself can be provided on each partition 12, so that the three cavities are connected to each other; wherein the number of the slots can be designed differently according to the opening position of the slot group 12 and the structure of the partition 12. Preferably, the slot of the slot group 121 is provided close to the bottom of the ink storage chamber 11, so that the ink in the ink storage chamber 11 flows to the print head 4 more thoroughly and better, and the ink storage amount of the ink storage chamber 11 is increased while ensuring the inkjet effect of the print head 4. Alternatively, as another optional solution, in other embodiments, the partition 12 in the ink storage cavity can also be directly removed.

[0065] The adapter chip 5 is mounted on the circuit board 3, wherein the adapter chip 5 has a second contact group 51 on the side facing the circuit board 3, and the structure of the second contact group 51 matches the structure of the first contact group 31, and the first side of the adapter chip 5 facing away from the circuit board 3 has a third contact group 52, and the third contact group 52 matches the structure of the fourth contact group in the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the printing carriage, and the third contact group 52 is electrically connected to the second contact group 51. When the adapter chip 5 is mounted on the circuit board 3, the second contact group 51 and the first contact group 31 are electrically connected in a matching manner; when the regenerated ink cartridge 100 regenerated from the color ink cartridge is installed in the black ink cartridge installation cavity of the printing carriage, the third contact group 52 is electrically connected in a matching manner to the fourth contact group in the black ink cartridge installation cavity.

[0066] The adapter chip 5 is used to enable the control unit controlling the black ink cartridge in the inkjet printing device to communicate with the regenerated ink cartridge 100 through the circuit board 3 and control its inkjet function. The circuit board 3 is originally provided with a plurality of shared lines and can be connected to the integrated circuit through the relevant electrical contact units. The adapter chip 5 is used to connect with the relevant electrical contact units of the integrated circuit on the circuit board 3 to establish communication and control between the adapter chip 5 and the circuit board 3.

[0067] For example, a chip on an existing circuit board 3 is provided with a first shared circuit, a second shared circuit and a third shared circuit, and the first shared circuit, the second shared circuit and the third shared circuit are electrically connected to the first contact group 31 respectively; wherein, the first shared circuit may be a reset circuit, and the first shared circuit is electrically connected to the first electrical contact unit of the first contact group 31 to realize the transmission of a reset signal, so that the reset signal can be used to control the reset of one or more integrated circuits (of the first shared circuit) connected; the second shared circuit may be a data signal (including a recognition command contact), and the second shared circuit is electrically connected to the second electrical contact unit of the first contact group 31 to realize the transmission of a data signal, so that the data signal can be used to control the one or more integrated circuits (of the second shared circuit) connected; the third shared circuit may be a clock circuit, a sensing circuit or a mode circuit, and the third shared circuit is electrically connected to the third electrical contact unit of the first contact group 31 to realize the transmission of relevant control signals, so that the relevant control signals can be used to control the one or more integrated circuits (of the third shared circuit) connected.

[0068] The three actuator units 420 of the print head 4 are respectively connected to one or more corresponding integrated circuits in the first shared circuit, the second shared circuit, and the third shared circuit. When the regenerated ink cartridge 100 generated from the color ink cartridge is installed in the black ink cartridge installation cavity of the printing carriage, the fourth contact group in the black ink cartridge installation cavity can establish communication with the circuit board 3 through the adapter chip 5 to control one or more integrated circuits on the circuit board 3, so that the three nozzles 41 of the print head 4 and the related nozzles and actuators 421 that can perform inkjet actions on the three actuator units 420 work, thereby completing the printing operation.

[0069] In order to realize the conversion between the color ink cartridge and the black ink cartridge, the adapter chip 5 needs to provide a physical basis for the communication between the color ink cartridge and the inkjet printing device, and also needs to modify the circuit board 3 according to the difference between the color ink cartridge and the black ink cartridge to convert to output data consistent with the black ink cartridge circuit board 3, so that the control unit controlling the black ink cartridge in the inkjet printing device can control the regenerated ink cartridge 100 regenerated from the color ink cartridge to complete the black and white printing operation. Among them, the adapter chip 5 includes a data modification unit, a nozzle signal conversion unit, an electrical parameter adjustment unit, and a logic conversion unit.

[0070] The data modification unit is connected between the second contact group 51 and the third contact group 52. Data communication is the most basic condition for the ink cartridge to be authenticated by the inkjet printing device. The data content includes ink volume data indicating the remaining ink volume of the ink cartridge, as well as the ink cartridge model and other contents. Among them, the data storage unit on the circuit board 3 adopts an irreversible memory such as a fuse memory. As the ink cartridge is used, the remaining ink volume gradually decreases and cannot be restored. Therefore, the ink in the ink cartridge cannot be used after it is used up. If the ink cartridge is to be recycled, it is necessary to use the adapter chip 5 to repair the ink volume. Therefore, the data modification unit of the adapter chip 5 is electrically connected to the first electrical contact unit and the second electrical contact unit of the first contact group 31 of the circuit board 3 to rewrite the ink volume data and ink cartridge model data stored in the chip of the circuit board 3.

[0071] The nozzle signal conversion unit is connected between the second contact group 51 and the third contact group 52. Since the address lines of the control signal timing of different colors of the color ink cartridge of the inkjet printing device are different, when the color ink cartridge is regenerated, the control signal sent by the control unit controlling the black ink cartridge needs to be converted into a corresponding control signal through the nozzle signal conversion unit on the adapter chip 5. For example, when the control unit controlling the black ink cartridge sends an inkjet signal to the regenerated ink cartridge 100 through the fourth contact group in the black ink cartridge installation cavity, the regenerated ink cartridge 100 connects the second electrical contact unit of the first contact group 31 of the circuit board 3 through the adapter chip 5 to identify the print nozzle 4, and at the same time, the inkjet signal is merged into the chip of the circuit board 3 to control the print nozzle 4.

[0072] The electrical parameter adjustment unit is connected between the second contact group 51 and the third contact group 52. The inkjet printing device detects the electrical parameters of the chip contacts on the circuit board 3 of the ink cartridge to determine whether the chip is short-circuited, so as to avoid the short-circuited chip from causing damage to itself and the inkjet printing device after power-on. When the regenerated ink cartridge 100 is installed in the black ink cartridge installation cavity, the inkjet printer will establish communication with the adapter chip 5 through the fourth contact group, and then electrically connect the first electrical contact unit of the first contact group 31 of the adapter chip 5 and the circuit board 3 to the chip of the circuit board 3, thereby adjusting the electrical parameters of the chip.

[0073] The logic conversion unit is connected between the second contact group 51 and the third contact group 52. In order to detect whether the line logic of the chip of the circuit board 3 is normal, the inkjet printing device will send a logic detection command. The command has a combination of multiple signal lines. When the chip of the circuit board 3 receives the command, it starts to perform logical operations, and finally obtains the operation results and feeds them back to the inkjet printing device. The inkjet printing device judges whether the internal logic of the ink cartridge can operate normally based on the operation results.

[0074] Since the chip of the circuit board 3 of the color ink cartridge and the control unit controlling the black ink cartridge may not match each other during logic detection, the communication between the two is converted by the logic conversion unit of the adapter chip 5. Preferably, the logic conversion unit includes a detection signal logic operation module and a feedback signal logic operation module. Among them, the circuit structures of the above-mentioned data modification unit, nozzle signal conversion unit, electrical parameter adjustment unit, logic conversion unit, etc. are prior arts, and their functions and principles are well known to those skilled in the art, so they are not described in detail here.

[0075] Preferably, the thickness of the adapter chip 5 is between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm. This design ensures that the regenerated ink cartridge can be installed in the black installation cavity of the printing carriage, and the adapter chip 5 is stably and reliably electrically connected to the fourth contact group in the black installation cavity. Preferably, the thickness of the adapter chip 5 is between 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm.

[0076] After the installation of the adapter chip 5 is completed, or before the installation of the adapter chip 5, the cover body 2 is installed on the box body 1 so that the cover body 2 covers and seals the opening of the ink storage chamber 11 of the box body 1. Black ink is filled into the ink storage chamber 11, and then the sealing film label 23 can be used to seal the ink filling port 22 on the cover body 2, and the color ink cartridge is packaged to form a regenerated ink cartridge 100.

[0077] Then the regenerated ink cartridge 100 is tested to ensure that the regenerated regenerated ink cartridge 100 meets the use requirements. Finally, the regenerated ink cartridge 100 that passes the test is packaged.

[0078] In summary, the present regeneration method can regenerate the recycled color ink cartridge into a regenerated ink cartridge 100 suitable for the black ink cartridge installation cavity on the print carriage, thereby improving the recycling rate of the color ink cartridge.

[0079] Inkjet printing device embodiment

[0080] The inkjet printing device includes a printing carriage, which has a black ink cartridge installation cavity, wherein a regenerated ink cartridge as described in the above-mentioned regenerated ink cartridge embodiment is installed in the black ink cartridge installation cavity. It can be seen that the inkjet printing device can use the regenerated ink cartridge regenerated from the color ink cartridge for black and white printing, effectively improving the recycling rate of the color ink cartridge and reducing resource waste.

[0081] Finally, it should be emphasized that the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various changes and modifications. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. Remanufactured ink cartridges, including A box body, wherein the box body has an ink storage chamber; A cover body, which is mounted on the box body and covers the opening of the ink storage chamber; A circuit board, wherein the circuit board is mounted on the box body and has a first contact group; A print head, the print head is mounted on the box body, the print head is communicated with the ink storage chamber and is electrically connected to the circuit board; It is characterized in that The regenerated ink cartridge also includes: A converter chip, wherein the converter chip is mounted on the circuit board, the converter chip has a second contact group on a side facing the circuit board, the second contact group is electrically connected to the first contact group in a matching manner, and the converter chip has a third contact group on a side facing away from the circuit board, the third contact group is electrically connected to the second contact group.

2. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The switching chip comprises: a data modification unit, the data modification unit being electrically connected between the second contact group and the third contact group; A nozzle signal conversion unit, wherein the nozzle signal conversion unit is electrically connected between the second contact group and the third contact group; an electrical parameter adjustment unit, the electrical parameter adjustment unit being electrically connected between the second contact group and the third contact group; A logic conversion unit is electrically connected between the second contact group and the third contact group.

3. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the transfer chip is between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm.

4. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The print head comprises three nozzles and three actuator units, the three nozzles and the three actuator units are all distributed along a first direction, the three nozzles and the three actuator units correspond one to one, the nozzle comprises a plurality of nozzles distributed along a second direction, the actuator unit comprises a plurality of actuators distributed along the second direction, the plurality of actuators correspond one to one with the plurality of nozzles of a corresponding nozzle, the actuator comprises two actuator modules, the two actuator modules are distributed on both sides of a corresponding nozzle along the first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; Among every three actuators distributed parallel to the first direction, at least one of the actuators can operate normally.

5. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 4, characterized in that: The actuator is a thermal bubble actuator or a piezoelectric actuator.

6. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: The ink storage chamber is a single chamber; or The ink storage chamber is provided with a partition, which divides the ink storage chamber into three cavities. The partition is provided with a slot hole group, which penetrates the partition. The three cavities are connected through the slot hole group, and the slot hole group is arranged near the bottom of the ink storage chamber.

7. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The cover body is provided with a limiting protrusion, and the limiting protrusion is provided with a matching groove.

8. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 7, characterized in that: The cover body is also provided with an ink filling port, which passes through the cover body and is communicated with the ink storage chamber.

9. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cover body is also provided with a sealing film label, and the sealing film label covers the ink filling port.

10. An inkjet printing device, comprising a printing carriage, the printing carriage having a black ink cartridge mounting cavity, characterized in that: The black ink cartridge installation cavity is installed with a regenerated ink cartridge as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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