Ink box

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ink box, comprising a housing which comprises an ink cavity and a first wall, the first wall is provided with an air guide groove, the air guide groove comprises a main groove, the main groove comprises a first end portion and a second end portion, and the first wall is provided with a lead-in portion; the sealing film is arranged on the first wall, a concave part is formed in the first wall, the sealing film covers the concave part and the main groove, the sealing film is provided with a tearing line, a first section and a second section, the first section and the second section can be relatively separated along the tearing line, the first section covers part of the air guide groove and the concave part, and the second section covers the guide-in part; the ink box has a first direction and a second direction, and in the second direction, the size of the concave part is larger than that of the main groove. Before the ink box is used, the concave part and the air guide groove are covered by the sealing film, after the first section is torn off along the tearing line, the concave part and the air guide groove are partially exposed out of the sealing film, and the air guide groove is partially exposed to be communicated with the atmosphere to form an air guide channel. And the sealing film at the concave part can be conveniently acted manually or through equipment so as to tear off the second section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of printing consumables technology, and in particular to an ink cartridge. Background Technology

[0002] There is a type of ink cartridge with a groove on the top. The ink cartridge has a hole at the first end of the groove that communicates with the ink cavity, and the groove is sealed by a welding film. Before the ink cartridge is installed, a gas channel that connects the ink cavity with the atmosphere can be formed by breaking the film at the second end of the sealed groove.

[0003] When recycling these ink cartridges, it is necessary to remove the residual film covering the groove and weld a new film. However, removing the residual film involves milling-like physical processing, which is difficult to operate and difficult to remove completely. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the ink cartridge structure to reduce the difficulty of removing the residual film in the air guide channel. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an ink cartridge that allows for the removal of residual film from the air duct by tearing, thus reducing the difficulty of removing the residual film.

[0005] This utility model provides an ink cartridge, comprising:

[0006] A housing, the housing including an ink chamber and a first wall, the ink chamber for storing ink, the first wall having an air guide groove, the air guide groove including a main groove, the main groove including a first end and a second end, the first wall having an inlet portion at the first end of the main groove, the inlet portion communicating with the ink chamber;

[0007] A sealing membrane is fixedly disposed on the first wall, the first wall has a recessed portion, the sealing membrane covers the recessed portion and the main groove, the sealing membrane has a tear line, and a first section and a second section that can be separated from each other along the tear line, the first section covers part of the air guide groove and part of the recessed portion, and the second section covers the inlet portion;

[0008] in:

[0009] The ink cartridge has a first direction and a second direction parallel to the first wall surface. The first direction is the extension direction of the line connecting the first end and the second end. The second direction intersects the first direction. In the second direction, the size of the recess is larger than the size of the main groove.

[0010] In the ink cartridge described above, preferably, the recessed portion is not connected to the main slot, and the first section covers the second end of the main slot.

[0011] In the ink cartridge described above, preferably, in the first direction, the extension range of the recess coincides with the extension range of the main slot. In the ink cartridge described above, preferably, the recess communicates with the main slot, and the air guide groove includes the recess.

[0012] In the ink cartridge described above, preferably, the sealing film is provided with a plurality of easy-tear grooves, which are spaced apart on the tear line and staggered in the section of the main groove.

[0013] In the ink cartridge described above, preferably, the first wall has a closed section, the first wall is attached and connected to the sealing film at the outer surface of the closed section, the main groove and the recess are both located within the closed section, and the recess and the edge of the closed section have gaps in both the first direction and the second direction.

[0014] In an ink cartridge as described above, preferably, the first section has a pull portion located outside the enclosed area, and in the first direction, the pull portion is at least partially located outside the extension range of the first wall.

[0015] In the ink cartridge described above, preferably, the first wall is the end wall of the housing in the opposite direction to the plumb line.

[0016] In the ink cartridge described above, preferably, the inlet portion has a one-way valve for restricting fluid flow from the ink chamber.

[0017] In the ink cartridge described above, preferably, the main slot includes a plurality of bends located between the first end and the second end.

[0018] Compared with existing technologies, the ink cartridge of this invention has a completely sealed film covering both the recessed area and the air guide groove before use. The sealed film in the recessed area is in an inoperable state, and the sealed film in the recessed area and its surrounding area is less likely to accidentally detach due to friction or scratches, thereby reducing the risk of ink leakage at the air guide channel. After tearing off the first section along the tear line, both the recessed area and the air guide groove are partially exposed outside the sealed film. The air guide groove is partially exposed and connected to the atmosphere, thus forming an air guide channel. The sealed film in the recessed area is in an operable state, making it easy to manually or through equipment to tear off the second section. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an ink cartridge with the sealing film not removed, provided in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the ink cartridge with the sealing film still attached, provided in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a top view of the ink cartridge with the sealing film not removed, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the ink cartridge after the sealing film has been removed, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a top view of the ink cartridge after the sealing film has been removed, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the air guide groove provided in one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the air guide groove provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a state diagram of the ink cartridge being installed into the printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the state of the ink cartridge provided in an embodiment of this utility model when it is installed in a printing device.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0030] 10-Housing, 11-Ink cavity, 12-First wall, 13-Air guide groove, 131-Main groove, 132-Bent part, 133-First end, 134-Second end, 14-Inlet part, 15-Recessed part, 16-Closed area, 17-Second wall, 171-Ink supply port, 172-First electrical interconnect, 18-Third wall, 181-Retaining spring key, 19-Fourth wall, 191-Insert key;

[0031] 20-Sealing film, 21-Tear line, 22-First section, 221-Tension section, 23-Second section, 24-Easy-tear groove;

[0032] 30 - Printing equipment; 31 - Fluid interconnect; 32 - Second electrical interconnect; 33 - Keyway;

[0033] D1 - First direction, D2 - Second direction. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0035] Reference Figures 1 to 8 As shown, this utility model provides an ink cartridge, including a housing 10 and a sealing film 20, wherein:

[0036] The housing 10 includes an ink chamber 11 and a first wall 12. The ink chamber 11 is used to store ink. The first wall 12 is provided with a gas guide groove 13. The gas guide groove 13 is a boss that slightly protrudes from the surface of the first wall 12 to improve the welding quality at the gas guide groove 13. The gas guide groove 13 includes a main groove 131, which includes a first end 133 and a second end 134. The first wall 12 is provided with an inlet portion 14 at the first end 133 of the main groove 131. The inlet portion 14 communicates with the ink chamber 11, and gas or liquid can enter the ink chamber 11 through the inlet portion 14.

[0037] The sealing film 20 is fixed to the first wall 12, which has a recess 15. The sealing film 20 covers the recess 15 and the main slot 131. Before the ink cartridge is used, the sealing film 20 completely covers the recess 15 and the main slot 131 to prevent the ink cavity 11 from communicating with the outside atmosphere. Since the recess 15 is completely covered by the sealing film 20, the area of ​​the sealing film 20 corresponding to the recess 15 is in an inoperable state, that is, the sealing film 20 in the area of ​​the recess 15 is difficult to tear off. This makes it less likely that the sealing film 20 in the recess 15 and its surrounding area will accidentally detach due to friction or scratching, thereby reducing the risk of ink leakage at the air duct.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 7 as well as Figure 8 As shown, the sealing membrane 20 has a tear line 21, and a first segment 22 and a second segment 23 that can be separated from each other along the tear line 21. The tear line 21 is a virtual line segment, and the sealing membrane 20 can be broken along the tear line 21 to form the first segment 22 and the second segment 23, that is, the first segment 22 can be separated from the second segment 23 at the tear line 21. The first segment 22 can cover part of the air guide groove 13 and part of the recess 15, and the remaining parts of the air guide groove 13 and the recess 15 can be covered by the second segment 23. The inlet portion 14 is completely covered by the second segment 23. When the ink cartridge is needed, the first section 22 can be torn off along the tear line 21 of the sealing film 20, so that part of the air guide groove 13 and part of the recess 15 are exposed outside the sealing film 20. At this time, the air guide groove 13 is connected to the outside atmosphere to form an air guide channel. Since the recess 15 is partially exposed, the second section 23 covering the recess 15 is in an operable state. The second section 23 covering the recess 15 can be torn off manually or by using a tool.

[0039] Since the second section 23 is easily removed by covering the recessed portion 15, and almost no sealing film 20 remains in the air duct and the recessed portion 15, there is basically no need to clean the residual sealing film 20 of the recycled ink cartridge after removing the second section 23 during the ink cartridge recycling process, thus improving the recycling rate of the ink cartridge.

[0040] In the embodiments provided in this application, the ink cartridge has a first direction D1 and a second direction D2 parallel to the surface of the first wall 12. The first direction D1 is the extension direction of the line connecting the first end 133 and the second end 134, that is, the length direction of the ink cartridge. The second direction D2 intersects the first direction D1 and is the width direction of the ink cartridge. In the width direction of the ink cartridge, the size of the recess 15 is larger than the size of the main groove 131. Therefore, after tearing off the first section 22, it is convenient to make the size of the exposed area of ​​the recess 15 in the second direction D2 larger than the size of the main groove 131 in the second direction D2. It is also convenient to tear off the second section 23 in the corresponding area of ​​the recess 15 manually or by using a tool.

[0041] Reference Figure 4 As shown, the inlet 14 is connected to the ink chamber 11, allowing ink or outside air to enter the ink chamber 11. The ink chamber 11 is filled with sponges; specifically, it contains two sponges of different volumes. The sponges serve as ink storage media, ensuring a stable ink supply to the printing device 30 and controlling the ink delivery rate. The sponges also maintain pressure balance within the ink cartridge, absorbing pressure fluctuations caused by ink consumption or temperature changes, thus ensuring stable internal pressure.

[0042] In one feasible implementation, refer to Figure 3 , 6 As shown in Figure 7, the recessed portion 15 is not connected to the main groove 131, that is, the recessed portion 15 is set independently of the main groove 131. The second end 134 of the main groove 131 is covered by the first section 22. When the sealing film 20 of the first section 22 is torn off by the tear line 21, part of the main groove 131 can be exposed, thereby opening the air guide channel.

[0043] Furthermore, in the first direction D1, the extension range of the recess 15 overlaps with the extension range of the main groove 131, thereby enabling the setting of a shorter tear line to facilitate the removal of the first section 22. After the first section 22 (i.e., the part of the sealing film 20 that needs to be removed before the ink cartridge is put into use) is removed, the second section 23 (i.e., the remaining part of the sealing film 20) is in an operable state. However, at this time, the second section 23 can only be removed starting from the corner of the second section 23 corresponding to the recess 15, making the removal relatively difficult. This helps prevent the second section 23 from being removed due to accidental operation.

[0044] In another feasible implementation, refer to Figure 8 As shown, the recessed portion 15 is connected to the main groove 131. The air guide groove 13 includes the recessed portion 15, that is, the recessed portion 15 is disposed on the air guide groove 13 and is a part of the air guide groove 13. After the first section 22 is torn off by the tear line 21, part of the recessed portion 15 and part of the main groove 131 are exposed outside the sealing membrane 20 at the same time, and the air guide channel is connected to the outside. At the same time, the sealing membrane 20 of the second section 23 is in an operable state. When tearing off the second section 23, it is only necessary to manually or use a tool to tear off the second section 23 from the recessed portion 15. Compared with the aforementioned embodiment, the sealing membrane 20 of the second section 23 in this embodiment is easier to tear off.

[0045] To ensure that the sealing film 20 is inoperable before the ink cartridge is used (the first section 22 is removed), refer to... Figure 6 As shown, the first wall 12 of this application has a closed section 16. The outer surface of the first wall 12 corresponding to the closed section 16 is attached to and connected to the sealing film 20. The main groove 131 and the recessed portion 15 are both located within the closed section 16. When the sealing film 20 is attached to the closed section 16, it can completely cover the main groove 131 and the recessed portion 15. In the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, there are gaps between the recessed portion 15 and the edge of the closed section 16, further ensuring that the recessed portion 15 is completely located within the closed section 16 and can be completely covered by the sealing film 20. Thus, before the ink cartridge is used, the sealing film 20 covering the recessed portion 15 is in an inoperable state, that is, it cannot be removed from the recessed portion 15.

[0046] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the removal of the first segment 22 when the ink cartridge needs to be used, in the embodiments provided in this application, the first segment 22 has a pull portion 221 located outside the closed section 16. The sealing film 20 located outside the closed section 16 does not need to be attached to the closed section 16. Therefore, the pull portion 221 is provided in the first segment 22. The pull portion 221 is located at the free end of the first segment 22. When removing the first segment 22, the first segment 22 can be torn off along the tear line 21 by holding the pull portion 221, thereby facilitating the removal of the first segment 22.

[0047] To further improve the operability of tearing off the first section 22, in the first direction D1, the pulling part 221 is at least partially located outside the extension range of the first wall 12, that is, the pulling part 221 is located outside the closed section 16 and extends beyond the extension range of the first wall 12, that is, at least part of the pulling part 221 is located outside the housing 10. In the first direction D1, the pulling part 221 has a certain length outside the housing 10. This part of the pulling part 221 is in a free state, which facilitates tearing off the first section 22 along the tear line 21 by pulling part 221.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 As shown, the sealing membrane 20 is provided with multiple easy-tear grooves 24. The multiple easy-tear grooves 24 are spaced apart in the section where the tear line 21 is misaligned with the air guide groove 13. The multiple easy-tear grooves 24 are provided on the tear line 21 to facilitate the removal of the first section 22. However, the provision of easy-tear grooves 24 will cause the local structural strength of the sealing membrane 20 to deteriorate. When the sealing membrane 20 is impacted, it is easy to cause the air guide channel to open accidentally. In order to prevent the air guide channel from opening accidentally, the easy-tear grooves 24 are provided in the section where the tear line 21 is misaligned with the air guide groove 13, that is, in the section where the tear line 21 intersects with the air guide groove 13. The easy-tear grooves 24 should not be provided in this section.

[0049] It is feasible to have multiple easy-tear grooves 24 located on opposite sides of the air guide groove 13 in the second direction D2, which can both prevent the air guide channel from being opened accidentally and facilitate the smooth removal of the first section 22.

[0050] In the embodiments provided in this application, the first wall 12 is the end wall of the housing 10 in the opposite direction to the plumb line, referring to... Figure 1 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the first wall 12 is located at the top of the housing 10 and is the top wall of the housing 10.

[0051] Furthermore, the inlet 14 serves as an inlet for both air and ink, allowing outside air and ink to enter the ink chamber 11. When the inlet 14 is located on the top wall, in the installed state, the air guide groove 13 is located on the opposite side of the ink cartridge, thus preventing ink leakage at the air guide groove 13. When the inlet 14 is located on another wall of the housing 10, a one-way valve (not shown in the figure) needs to be installed in the inlet 14 to restrict fluid from flowing out of the ink chamber 11.

[0052] When the air pressure inside the ink cartridge fluctuates, ink in the ink chamber 11 may leak through the inlet 14 into the air guide groove 13 and overflow from the air guide groove 13, thus contaminating the ink cartridge. To prevent leaked ink from overflowing from the air guide groove 13, in the embodiments provided in this application, the air guide groove 13 further includes multiple bends 132, which are disposed on the main groove 131 between the first end 133 and the second end 134. The bends 132 are bend-shaped grooves, and all bends 132 are connected to the main groove 131. The multiple bend-shaped grooves increase the volume of the air guide groove 13. When ink leaks, the bends 132 can contain some ink, buffering the air pressure fluctuations inside the ink cartridge, thereby effectively preventing leaked ink from overflowing from the air guide groove 13.

[0053] Reference Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown, the housing 10 also includes a second wall 17, a third wall 18 and a fourth wall 19. The second wall 17 is disposed opposite to the first wall 12 and is the bottom wall of the housing 10. The third wall 18 and the fourth wall 19 are disposed opposite to each other along the first direction D1. The second wall 17 is provided with an ink supply port 171 and a first electrical interconnect 172. The third wall 18 is provided with a retaining spring key 181 and the fourth wall 19 is provided with an insertion key 191.

[0054] Reference Figure 9 as well as Figure 10 As shown, the ink cartridge of this application can be installed in a printing device 30. The printing device 30 includes a printhead, a carriage, and a keyway 33. When the ink cartridge is fully installed in the printing device 30, the ink supply port 171 and the first electrical interconnect 172 are respectively connected to the complementary sockets of the printhead and the carriage to realize the fluid connection and electrical connection between the ink cartridge and the printing device 30.

[0055] Reference Figure 9 As shown, when installing the ink cartridge, the arrows in the diagram indicate the path for inserting the ink cartridge into the printhead and carriage. First, engage the insertion key 191 with the keyway 33 to provide a pivot reference point for ink cartridge installation. The ink cartridge then pivots downwards around the engagement point of the insertion key 191 and the keyway 33 to engage the retaining spring 181. Figure 10 In the position shown where it is fully in place.

[0056] Insertion key 191 ensures the correct alignment of the ink cartridge in the printhead and carriage, enabling proper fluid and electrical interconnection. When correctly positioned and fully in place, the ink supply port 171 is fluidly connected to the fluid interconnect 31 located on the printhead. When fully in place, the first electrical interconnect 172 is electrically connected to the second electrical interconnect 32 located on the carriage, thus completing the installation of the ink cartridge.

[0057] The above description, based on the embodiments shown in the drawings, details the structure, features, and effects of this utility model. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this utility model, but the scope of implementation of this utility model is not limited to what is shown in the drawings. Any changes made in accordance with the concept of this utility model, or modifications to equivalent embodiments, that do not exceed the spirit covered by the specification and drawings, shall be within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge, characterized in that, include: A housing, the housing including an ink chamber and a first wall, the ink chamber for storing ink, the first wall having an air guide groove, the air guide groove including a main groove, the main groove including a first end and a second end, the first wall having an inlet portion at the first end of the main groove, the inlet portion communicating with the ink chamber; A sealing membrane is fixedly disposed on the first wall, the first wall has a recessed portion, the sealing membrane covers the recessed portion and the main groove, the sealing membrane has a tear line, and a first section and a second section that can be separated from each other along the tear line, the first section covers part of the air guide groove and part of the recessed portion, and the second section covers the inlet portion; in: The ink cartridge has a first direction and a second direction parallel to the first wall surface. The first direction is the extension direction of the line connecting the first end and the second end. The second direction intersects the first direction. In the second direction, the size of the recess is larger than the size of the main groove.

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The recessed portion is not connected to the main groove, and the first section covers the second end of the main groove.

3. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the first direction, the extension range of the recessed portion overlaps with the extension range of the main groove.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The recessed portion is connected to the main channel, and the air guide channel includes the recessed portion.

5. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sealing film is provided with multiple easy-tear grooves, which are spaced apart on the tear line and staggered in the section of the main groove.

6. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first wall has a closed section, and the first wall is attached to and connected to the closed membrane at the outer surface of the closed section. The main groove and the recess are both located within the closed section. In the first direction and the second direction, the recess and the edge of the closed section have gaps.

7. The ink cartridge according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first section has a traction portion located outside the closed section, and in the first direction, the traction portion is at least partially located outside the extension range of the first wall.

8. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first wall is the end wall of the housing in the opposite direction to the plumb line.

9. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The inlet section has a one-way valve, which is used to restrict the flow of fluid out of the ink cavity.

10. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The main groove includes multiple bends, which are located between the first end and the second end.

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