Regeneration ink box

Abstract

The utility model provides a regeneration ink box used for supplying ink to ink jet imaging equipment with an electric contact pin, the regeneration ink box comprises a shell and a chip assembly installed on the shell, an ink cavity is formed in the shell and used for storing ink, the chip assembly comprises a chip rack and a chip installed on the chip rack, and the chip rack is used for containing ink. The chip frame is installed on the shell, the chip is used for being electrically connected with the electric contact pin, the regeneration ink box further comprises a sensor arranged on the shell and a sealing piece used for covering the sensor, one part of the sensor is located in the ink cavity, and the other part of the sensor is located outside the ink cavity; by arranging the hot melt adhesive covering the sensor and the surrounding area of the sensor and installing the chip with the sensor simulation function, the sensor arranged in the regeneration ink box does not detect the residual ink any more, the chip can also feed back the residual ink to the imaging equipment, meanwhile, the hot melt adhesive can seal the joint of the sensor and the shell, and the reliability of the regeneration ink box is improved. Therefore, ink leakage is prevented, and the sealing performance of the regeneration ink box is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of inkjet imaging, in particular to a regenerated ink cartridge which is detachably installed in an inkjet imaging device. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, there is an ink cartridge that can be removably installed on a printing device (such as an inkjet imaging device). The ink cartridge includes a main body, a chip holder, a chip, and a sensor. The sensor is mounted on the main body, with a portion of the sensor located within the main body's ink storage chamber and another portion located outside the ink storage chamber. A thin film is welded between the sensor and the main body, allowing a portion of the sensor to contact the ink in the ink storage chamber and another portion of the sensor to be electrically connected to the chip. The chip holder is mounted on the main body, and the chip is mounted on the chip holder. When properly installed, a spring element disposed on the back of the chip is electrically connected to the sensor. The chip receives ink level information from the sensor and enables the printing device to obtain the ink level information.

[0003] In order to reduce environmental pollution, the ink cartridge is recycled after a use cycle. According to the needs of use, some parts of the ink cartridge need to be regenerated, such as replacement, addition, removal, etc., and since the above-mentioned film may age and cause the sealing of the ink cartridge to deteriorate, for this ink cartridge, if the film is replaced, the regeneration steps will become complicated, which will lead to a significant increase in the cost of regenerating the ink cartridge. If the film is not replaced, the ink cartridge is prone to ink leakage during subsequent transportation or use. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model provides a regenerated ink cartridge to solve the above technical problems. The specific solution is:

[0005] A regenerated ink cartridge for supplying ink to an inkjet imaging device having an electric contact pin. The regenerated ink cartridge includes a shell and a chip assembly mounted on the shell. An ink chamber is formed in the shell, and the ink chamber is used to store ink. The chip assembly includes a chip rack and a chip mounted on the chip rack. The chip rack is mounted on the shell, and the chip is used to be electrically connected to the electric contact pin. The regenerated ink cartridge also includes a sensor arranged on the shell and a seal for covering the sensor. A portion of the sensor is located in the ink chamber, and another portion is located outside the ink chamber.

[0006] In the front-to-back direction, the sensor is located behind the chip, and the sealing member is located between the chip and the sensor.

[0007] The chip is not electrically connected to the sensor, and the life information of the regenerated ink cartridge is pre-stored in the chip.

[0008] The chip rack is provided with an avoidance portion, and the avoidance portion is used to avoid the sealing component.

[0009] In some embodiments, the sealing member is a hot melt adhesive.

[0010] In some embodiments, the sealant is liquid glue.

[0011] A film is welded at the connection between the sensor and the housing, and the film is used to seal the connection between the sensor and the housing.

[0012] The utility model provides hot melt adhesive covering the sensor and its surrounding area, and installs a chip with sensor simulation function, so that the sensor set in the regenerated ink cartridge no longer needs to detect the remaining ink level. The chip can also feedback the remaining ink level to the imaging device. At the same time, the hot melt adhesive can seal the connection between the sensor and the shell to prevent ink leakage, thereby improving the sealing performance of the regenerated ink cartridge. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of some components of the existing ink cartridge involved in the utility model.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the regenerated ink cartridge involved in the utility model.

[0015] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of some components of the regenerated ink cartridge involved in the utility model.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the regenerated ink cartridge of the present invention when viewed from left to right. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of some components of the existing ink cartridge involved in the utility model; Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the regenerated ink cartridge involved in the utility model; Figure 3 This is an exploded view of some components of the regenerated ink cartridge involved in the utility model; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the regenerated ink cartridge of the present invention when viewed from left to right.

[0018] For ease of description and understanding, Figure 1 In the state shown, the length direction of the ink cartridge 100' is defined as the front-to-back direction, the width direction of the ink cartridge 100' is defined as the left-to-right direction, and the height direction of the ink cartridge 100' is defined as the up-to-down direction. The front-to-back direction, the left-to-right direction, and the up-to-down direction intersect with each other. Preferably, the front-to-back direction, the left-to-right direction, and the up-to-down direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0019] Figure 1 The ink cartridge 100' is shown in the figure. The ink cartridge 100' can be detachably mounted on an inkjet imaging device (hereinafter referred to as "imaging device"). Figure 1As shown, the ink cartridge 100' includes a shell 1, an ink outlet 2, a chip assembly 3 and a sensor 4. Specifically, an ink cavity (not shown) for accommodating ink is formed in the shell 1. A handle 108 is also provided on the shell 1. The side where the handle 108 is located is defined as the front, and the side opposite to the front is defined as the rear. When observing from the rear of the ink cartridge 100' to the front, the left side of the sight is the left, the right side of the sight is the right, the upper side of the sight is the top, and the lower side of the sight is the bottom; the ink outlet 2 is connected to the shell 1, and has an ink outlet 21 that communicates with the inside and outside of the ink cavity. The ink outlet 21 is provided at the bottom of the figure. The ink outlet 21 is used to combine with the ink suction needle in the imaging device to absorb the ink contained in the ink cavity. The ink is supplied to the imaging device; the chip assembly 3 includes a chip frame 32 and a chip 31 mounted on the chip frame 32, and the chip contacts 311 provided on the chip 31 are used to be electrically connected to the electric contact pins in the imaging device to establish a communication connection with the imaging device; a part of the sensor 4 is located in the ink cavity, and the other part is located outside the ink cavity. Specifically, the other part of the sensor 4 is electrically connected to a spring (not shown) provided on the side of the chip 31 facing the ink cavity to detect the remaining ink. A thin film is welded at the connection between the sensor 4 and the shell 1, and the thin film is used to seal the connection between the sensor 4 and the shell 1; in the front-to-back direction, at least a part of the chip assembly 3 is located in front of the sensor 4.

[0020] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, according to the regeneration requirements, the ink cartridge formed after the ink cartridge 100' is regenerated is a regenerated ink cartridge 100, and the regenerated ink cartridge 100 still includes the above-mentioned shell 1, ink outlet part 2, chip assembly 3 and sensor 4, and the regenerated ink cartridge 100 also has the above-mentioned front-to-back direction, left-right direction and up-down direction.

[0021] The chip assembly 3 includes a chip holder 32 and a chip 31 mounted on the chip holder 32. The chip holder 32 is mounted on the housing 1. The chip 31 is used to electrically connect to electrical contacts in the imaging device, thereby establishing a communication connection between the remanufactured ink cartridge 100 and the imaging device. Furthermore, the chip assembly 3 is located at the front end of the remanufactured ink cartridge 100. When the remanufactured ink cartridge 100 is properly installed in the imaging device, the chip contacts 311 provided on the chip 31 are used to electrically connect to the electrical contacts to establish a communication connection with the imaging device.

[0022] In some embodiments, the shell 1 has a front side wall 101 and a sub-front side wall 102 facing forward, and a lower side wall 105 facing downward. In the front-to-back direction, the sub-front side wall 102 is closer to the rear than the front side wall 101. The chip rack 32 is installed on the sub-front side wall 102. The ink outlet portion 2 is arranged on the lower side wall 105 of the shell 1. Along the up-down direction, the ink outlet portion 2 protrudes downward from the lower side wall 105. Along the front-to-back direction, the ink outlet portion 2 is arranged close to the front end.

[0023] It should be noted that the positions of the above-mentioned handle 108 and ink outlet portion 2 do not constitute a limitation to the solution of this application. That is to say, based on the solution of this application, the handle 108 and ink outlet portion 2 can also be set at other positions of the shell 1 according to design requirements, or the handle 108 can also be omitted.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the chip 31 of the regenerated ink cartridge 100 is not electrically connected to the sensor 4, but the imaging device uses other means to feedback the ink remaining information to the user. For example, the chip 31 pre-stores the life information of the regenerated ink cartridge 100. The life information is the predetermined number of sheets of paper that can be printed / imaged with a predetermined amount of ink in the regenerated ink cartridge 100. As the imaging device prints / images, the predetermined number is reduced by one each time the imaging device outputs a sheet of paper. Therefore, the imaging device can obtain the ink remaining of the regenerated ink cartridge 100 by reading the changed life information in the chip 31, and then prompt the user.

[0025] The sensor 4 is disposed on the housing 1 . Furthermore, in the front-to-back direction, the sensor 4 is located behind the chip 31 , and the sensor 4 is not electrically connected to the chip 31 .

[0026] The regenerated ink cartridge 100 also includes a seal 5 disposed therein. In the front-to-back direction, the seal 5 is located between the chip 31 and the sensor 4. The seal 5 is preferably a hot melt adhesive covering the sensor 4 and the area around the sensor 4 to improve the sealing of the regenerated ink cartridge 100 and prevent ink from leaking from the connection between the sensor 4 and the housing 1, thereby improving the user experience and protecting the environment.

[0027] Furthermore, the chip rack 32 is also provided with an avoidance portion 321, which can avoid / accommodate the seal 5. Therefore, when the chip rack 32 is installed on the housing 1, it will not interfere with the seal 5, so that the chip rack 32 / chip 31 can be installed smoothly.

[0028] Furthermore, in the front-to-back direction, the sealing member 5 is located behind the chip 31 .

[0029] In some embodiments, the sealing member may be other sealing materials, such as liquid glue.

[0030] According to the above description, the present invention further provides a method for regenerating an ink cartridge, so that the ink in the regenerated ink cartridge is not easily leaked from the connection between the sensor and the housing, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0031] Cleaning step: cleaning the recovered ink cartridges;

[0032] an ink filling step of injecting a predetermined amount of ink into the ink chamber;

[0033] a sealing step of covering the sensor and its surrounding area with a seal to prevent ink from leaking from the connection between the sensor and the housing;

[0034] Steps for installing the chip.

[0035] Among them, before the cleaning step, specific parts of the ink cartridge can be cut and / or replaced according to the regeneration requirements. For example, the handle can be cut, or the handle can be replaced, or an extension piece can be installed on the handle so that the regenerated ink cartridge can be adapted to other types of imaging devices. The partition wall used to separate the cavity in the ink chamber can also be cut or milled off to increase the volume of the ink chamber.

[0036] After the cleaning step is completed and before the ink filling step is performed, a step of drying the ink cartridge may be performed, such as by drying, air-drying, or blowing.

[0037] In the ink filling step, ink can be added through the air guide port provided in the ink cartridge or through the ink outlet. The air guide port is used to connect the inside and outside of the ink cartridge to keep the internal and external atmospheric pressures balanced.

[0038] The order of the ink filling step and the sealing step can be reversed.

[0039] Before the step of installing the chip, the method further includes providing a relief portion on the chip rack that can relieve / accommodate the hot melt adhesive.

[0040] The beneficial effects that can be obtained by the utility model are:

[0041] 1. Cover the sensor and the area around the sensor with a sealant (e.g., hot melt adhesive) to prevent ink from leaking from the connection between the sensor and the housing, thereby improving the sealing of the remanufactured ink cartridge.

[0042] 2. Compared with the cost increase caused by replacing the film, the cost increase caused by adding a step of covering the sensor and its surrounding area with a sealant (such as hot melt adhesive) in the regeneration process is smaller, thereby reducing the cost of regenerating the ink cartridge.

[0043] 3. Even if the sensor is covered by a sealant (such as hot melt adhesive) and cannot be electrically connected to the chip to detect the remaining ink level, the life information of the regenerated ink cartridge can be pre-stored in the chip so that the imaging device can read the changed life information in the chip and prompt the user about the remaining ink level.

[0044] 4. The chip rack is provided with an escape portion for accommodating a sealing member (such as hot melt adhesive), which can prevent the chip rack / chip from interfering with the sealing member.

Claims

1. A regenerated ink cartridge for supplying ink to an inkjet imaging device having an electrical contact pin. The regenerated ink cartridge comprises a housing and a chip assembly mounted on the housing. The housing has an ink chamber formed therein for storing ink. The chip assembly comprises a chip holder and a chip mounted on the chip holder. The chip holder is mounted on the housing. The chip is electrically connected to the electrical contact pin. The invention is characterized in that: The regenerated ink cartridge further includes a sensor arranged on the shell and a sealing member for covering the sensor. A portion of the sensor is located in the ink cavity, and another portion is located outside the ink cavity.

2. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: In the front-to-back direction, the sensor is located behind the chip, and the sealing member is located between the chip and the sensor.

3. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: The chip is not electrically connected to the sensor, and the life information of the regenerated ink cartridge is pre-stored in the chip.

4. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: The chip rack is provided with an avoidance portion, and the avoidance portion is used to avoid the sealing component.

5. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The sealing element is hot melt adhesive.

6. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The sealing element is liquid glue.

7. The remanufactured ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: A film is welded at the connection between the sensor and the housing, and the film is used to seal the connection between the sensor and the housing.

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