Waste ink collecting device and ink-jet printer

Abstract

The utility model discloses a waste ink collecting device and an ink-jet printer. The waste ink collecting device comprises a waste ink collecting cavity. The waste ink collecting cavity is composed of a cover plate and a groove, the cover plate is connected with the groove in a sealed mode, and the groove is of a deep groove type structure. The cover plate is provided with a waste ink collecting port, and the size of the waste ink collecting port is larger than that of a nozzle of the ink-jet printer, so that ink droplets jetted by the nozzle of the ink-jet printer enter the waste ink collecting cavity from the waste ink collecting port. Waste ink can be collected, and the problem of waste ink droplets can be solved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of inkjet printers for display panels, in particular to a waste ink collecting device and an inkjet printer. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, inkjet printing technology has been widely used in traditional fields. With the continuous progress of technology, it has gradually emerged in the fields of smart fabrics, electronic skin, biosensors, 3D electronic components, transparent electronic devices and other flexible electronic related fields, and the importance of inkjet printing technology in the field of flexible electronics manufacturing is increasingly prominent.

[0003] In the system of an inkjet printer, the collection of waste ink plays a crucial role. An effective waste ink collection system can collect waste ink generated during the printing process in time, avoiding its accumulation inside the printer, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the printer.

[0004] In addition, preventing the generation of waste ink splashes is also an important aspect that cannot be ignored in the design and maintenance of the printer. Waste ink splashes not only dirty the printing work area and affect the printing effect, but also may splash onto the internal components of the printer, increasing maintenance costs and repair difficulty.

[0005] Therefore, in the design and maintenance of an inkjet printer, attention must be paid to the optimization of the waste ink collection system; a waste ink collecting device and an inkjet printer are needed to solve the above-mentioned waste ink splash problem. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides a waste ink collecting device and an inkjet printer, which can collect waste ink and solve the problem of waste ink splashes.

[0007] The first aspect of the present application discloses a waste ink collecting device, which comprises a waste ink collecting cavity; wherein the waste ink collecting cavity is composed of a cover plate and a groove, the cover plate is in sealed connection with the groove, and the groove is a deep groove structure; a waste ink collecting port is provided on the cover plate, and the size of the waste ink collecting port is greater than the size of the nozzle of the inkjet printer, so that the ink droplets sprayed by the nozzle of the inkjet printer can enter the waste ink collecting cavity through the waste ink collecting port.

[0008] In the above scheme, the waste ink ejection scenario of the inkjet printer nozzle includes: the nozzle is in a non-working state, the nozzle adopts a low-frequency ejection mode to prevent ink droplets from blocking the nozzle hole, and waste ink is generated; the nozzle is in a maintenance state, the nozzle adopts an alcohol high-frequency (relative to low-frequency) flushing mode to flush the ink path of the nozzle, and waste ink is generated (at this time, the waste ink includes alcohol). The size of the waste ink collection port includes the length and width of the waste ink collection port, and the size of the nozzle of the inkjet printer includes the length and width of the nozzle; the length of the waste ink collection port is greater than the length of the nozzle, and the width of the waste ink collection port is greater than the width of the nozzle. The nozzle of the inkjet printer is located at an upper position of the waste ink collection port, and the waste ink ejected by the nozzle directly enters the waste ink collection chamber; since the waste ink collection chamber is in a sealed state and has a deep groove structure, the waste ink and waste ink mist enter the waste ink collection chamber, reducing the generation of waste ink mist, thereby improving the printing quality of the inkjet printer system and facilitating equipment maintenance.

[0009] In a possible implementation, one or more waste ink collection ports are formed on the cover plate, and the number of waste ink collection ports is the same as the number of nozzles of the inkjet printer.

[0010] In the above scheme, in the scenario of the inkjet printer, when the number of nozzles is more than one, the number of waste ink collection ports needs to be the same as the number of nozzles.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the bottom of the groove includes two inclined regions and a horizontal region; the horizontal region is located between the two inclined regions, so as to facilitate the flow of waste ink from the inclined regions to the horizontal region.

[0012] In the above scheme, the design of the horizontal region and the inclined region is more conducive to waste ink collection; and a non-stick material (such as Teflon) can be applied to the inclined region, which further facilitates waste ink collection.

[0013] In a possible implementation, a plurality of waste ink collection holes are formed in the horizontal region, so as to facilitate the flow of waste ink from the waste ink collection holes into the waste ink collection tank.

[0014] In the above scheme, a new waste ink collection method is provided, that is, waste ink collection can be collected in the waste ink collection chamber, or can enter the waste ink collection tank through the waste ink collection hole.

[0015] In a possible implementation, an alcohol injection hole is arranged on the side surface of the waste ink collection chamber, so as to facilitate the injection of alcohol from the alcohol injection hole to the inclined region.

[0016] In the above scheme, by spraying alcohol on the inclined region, waste ink can be further prevented from sticking to the inclined region, thereby facilitating waste ink collection.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the waste ink collecting hole is configured as a negative pressure hole.

[0018] In the above scheme, by configuring the waste ink collecting hole as a negative pressure hole, even a micro negative pressure can further facilitate waste ink collection.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the waste ink collecting device further comprises a first moving mechanism, which is arranged at the bottom of the waste ink collecting cavity, and comprises a first rack, a sliding rail, a sliding block and a first gear; the first rack, the sliding rail and the sliding block are all fixedly connected with the bottom of the waste ink collecting cavity, and the sliding rail and the sliding block are arranged in cooperation, and the sliding rail slides in the sliding block; a first motor is engaged with the first rack through the first gear, so as to drive the waste ink collecting cavity to move in a first direction.

[0020] In the above scheme, the first direction is a horizontal direction, which is also the maintenance area direction of the inkjet head in the inkjet printer; when the inkjet printer is in a non-working state in the maintenance area, the waste ink collecting device moves to the maintenance area through the first moving mechanism to collect waste ink for the inkjet head; when the inkjet printer is in a working state in a working area, the waste ink collecting device can be retracted in the maintenance area through the first moving mechanism, thereby reducing the moving stroke of the inkjet head (the motion axis of the inkjet head has high precision and high cost; reducing the moving stroke of the inkjet head means reducing the cost of the inkjet printer system); and by arranging the rack, the sliding rail and the sliding block on the waste ink collecting cavity, the space occupied by the base of the waste ink collecting cavity can be further reduced, that is, the waste ink collecting device saves space.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the waste ink collecting device further comprises a second moving mechanism, an upper layer plate, a lower layer plate and a support rod, the upper layer plate is fixedly connected with the waste ink collecting cavity through a support, and the second moving mechanism comprises a second rack and a second gear; one end of the support rod and one end of the second rack are fixedly connected with the upper layer plate, and a through hole is arranged on the lower layer plate, and the position of the through hole is the same as the position of the other end of the support rod and the other end of the second rack; a second motor is arranged on the lower layer plate, and the second motor is engaged with the second rack through the second gear to drive the waste ink collecting device to ascend and descend; when the waste ink collecting device is in a descending state, the other end of the support rod and the other end of the second rack pass out of the through hole.

[0022] In the above scheme, the second moving mechanism moves in a vertical direction; when the waste ink collecting device is in a non-working state or a maintenance state, it can be retracted to pull the waste ink collecting device away from the inkjet head maintenance area, thereby reducing the space occupied by the waste ink collecting device in the non-working state and facilitating maintenance of the waste ink collecting device.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the waste ink collecting device further comprises a waste ink collecting tank and a transparent tube, the waste ink collecting tank and the transparent tube are arranged in a communicating relationship; wherein the waste ink collecting tank is connected to the waste ink collecting cavity through a waste ink pipeline; the transparent tube is provided with an upper liquid level sensor and a lower liquid level sensor to monitor the liquid level in the transparent tube.

[0024] In the above scheme, by arranging the waste ink collecting tank and the transparent tube in a communicating relationship, the liquid level of the waste ink collecting tank can be observed by the human eye during maintenance; the upper liquid level sensor can monitor whether the waste ink in the waste liquid collecting tank is full, and the lower liquid level sensor can monitor whether the waste ink in the waste liquid collecting tank is empty.

[0025] The second aspect of the present application discloses an inkjet printer comprising the waste ink collecting device according to any one of the above.

[0026] The beneficial effects of the present application are:

[0027] The waste ink ejection scene of the inkjet printer includes: when the nozzle is in a non-working state, the nozzle will adopt a low-frequency ejection mode to prevent ink droplets from blocking the nozzle hole, and waste ink is generated; when the nozzle is in a maintenance state, the nozzle uses alcohol high-frequency (relative to low-frequency) to flush the ink path of the nozzle, and waste ink is generated (at this time, the waste ink contains alcohol). The size of the waste ink collecting port includes the length and width of the waste ink collecting port, and the size of the nozzle of the inkjet printer includes the length and width of the nozzle; the length of the waste ink collecting port is greater than the length of the nozzle, and the width of the waste ink collecting port is greater than the width of the nozzle. The nozzle of the inkjet printer is located above the waste ink collecting port, and the waste ink ejected by the nozzle directly enters the waste ink collecting cavity; since the waste ink collecting cavity is in a sealed state and has a deep groove structure, both the waste ink and the waste ink mist enter the waste ink collecting cavity, reducing the generation of waste ink mist, thereby improving the printing quality of the inkjet printer system and facilitating equipment maintenance.

[0028] In the scene of the inkjet printer, when the number of nozzles is more than one, the number of waste ink collecting ports needs to be the same as the number of nozzles;

[0029] The design of the horizontal region and the inclined region is more conducive to waste ink collection; and a non-stick material (such as Teflon) can be applied to the inclined region, which further facilitates waste ink collection;

[0030] The waste ink collection can be collected in the waste ink collecting cavity, or can be collected in the waste ink collecting tank through the waste ink collecting hole;

[0031] Spraying alcohol on the inclined region can further prevent the waste ink from sticking to the inclined region, thereby facilitating waste ink collection;

[0032] By setting the waste ink collection hole to a negative pressure hole, even a slight negative pressure can further facilitate waste ink collection;

[0033] The first direction is horizontal, which is also the direction of the printhead maintenance area in an inkjet printer. When the inkjet printer is in the maintenance area when it is not in operation, the waste ink collection device moves to the maintenance area through the first motion mechanism to collect waste ink from the printhead. When the inkjet printer is in the working area, the waste ink collection device can retract into the maintenance area through the first motion mechanism, reducing the travel of the printhead (the printhead's motion axis has high precision and high cost; reducing the travel of the printhead means reducing the cost of the inkjet printer system). Furthermore, by setting racks, slides, and sliders on the waste ink collection chamber, the space occupied by the waste ink collection chamber base can be further reduced, that is, the waste ink collection device saves space.

[0034] The second motion mechanism moves vertically; when the waste ink collection device is in a non-working or maintenance state, it can be retracted to separate the waste ink collection device from the printhead maintenance area, reduce the space occupied by the waste ink collection device when it is not working, and facilitate the maintenance of the waste ink collection device.

[0035] By setting up the waste ink collection tank and transparent tube in a communicating vessel manner, the liquid level of the waste ink collection tank can be easily observed by the human eye during maintenance; and the upper liquid level sensor can monitor whether the waste ink in the waste liquid collection tank is full, while the lower liquid level sensor can monitor whether the waste ink in the waste liquid collection tank has been emptied. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a waste ink collection device disclosed in this application specification;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another waste ink collection device disclosed in this application specification;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another waste ink collection device disclosed in this application.

[0039] Figure 4 This application discloses a schematic diagram of the structure of the first motion mechanism in a waste ink collection device;

[0040] Figure 5 This application discloses a schematic diagram of the structure of the second motion mechanism in a waste ink collection device.

[0041] In the above figures: waste ink collection chamber 100, waste ink collection port 101, inclined area 102, horizontal area 103, waste ink collection hole 104, cover plate 105; slide rail 201, slider 202, first gear 203, first rack 204, first motor 205; bracket 300, upper plate 401, support rod 402, lower plate 403, second rack 404, second gear 405, second motor 406, buffer pad 407, through hole 408. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this specification, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0043] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the words "for example" or "for instance" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design that is described as "for example" or "for instance" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design options. Specifically, the use of the words "for example" or "for instance" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0044] The inkjet printer's printhead waste ink ejection scenarios described in this manual include: when the printhead is not in operation, it will use a low-frequency ejection method to prevent ink droplets from clogging the nozzles in the printhead, resulting in waste ink; when the printhead is in maintenance mode, it will use high-frequency (relative to low-frequency) alcohol to flush the ink path of the printhead, resulting in waste ink (at this time, the waste ink includes alcohol).

[0045] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-5 This manual explains the contents of this instruction manual.

[0046] This specification discloses a waste ink collection device, such as... Figures 1-3 As shown. The waste ink collection device includes a waste ink collection chamber 100; wherein, the waste ink collection chamber is composed of a cover plate 105 and a groove, the cover plate 105 is sealed to the groove, and the groove is a deep groove structure; a waste ink collection port 101 is provided on the cover plate, the size of the waste ink collection port 101 is larger than the size of the printhead of the inkjet printer, so that the ink droplets ejected by the printhead of the inkjet printer can enter the waste ink collection chamber from the waste ink collection port.

[0047] At this time, the size of the waste ink collection port includes the length and width of the waste ink collection port, and the size of the inkjet printer nozzle includes the length and width of the nozzle; the length of the waste ink collection port is greater than the length of the nozzle, and the width of the waste ink collection port is greater than the width of the nozzle. The nozzle of the inkjet printer is located above the waste ink collection port, and the waste ink sprayed by the nozzle directly enters the waste ink collection chamber; since the waste ink collection chamber is in a sealed state and has a deep groove structure, both the waste ink and the waste ink mist enter the waste ink collection chamber, reducing the generation of waste ink mist, thereby improving the printing quality of the inkjet printer system and facilitating equipment maintenance.

[0048] In one example, one or more waste ink collection ports are opened on the cover plate, and the number of waste ink collection ports is the same as the number of nozzles of the inkjet printer.

[0049] At this time, in the context of the inkjet printer, when the number of nozzles is more than one, the number of waste ink collection ports needs to be the same as the number of nozzles. As shown in Figure 1 Figure 1 A plurality of waste ink collection ports 101 are shown in the figure, which are merely examples; the number of waste ink collection ports 101 and the position of the waste ink collection ports 101 can be set correspondingly according to the position of the nozzles in the inkjet printer.

[0050] In one example, the bottom of the groove includes two inclined regions and a horizontal region; the horizontal region is located between the two inclined regions to facilitate the flow of waste ink from the inclined regions to the horizontal region.

[0051] At this time, the design of the horizontal region and the inclined region is more conducive to waste ink collection; and a non-stick material (such as Teflon) can be applied to the inclined region to further facilitate waste ink collection. As shown in Figure 2 The inclined region 102 is shown, and the horizontal region 103 is located between the two inclined regions 102; the waste ink falls from the inclined region 102 to the horizontal region 103. The inclination angle of the inclined region is not limited in this specification.

[0052] In one example, a plurality of waste ink collection holes are opened in the horizontal region to facilitate the flow of waste ink from the waste ink collection holes into the waste ink collection tank.

[0053] In the above example, a new waste ink collection method is disclosed, that is, the waste ink collection can be collected in the waste ink collection chamber, or can enter the waste ink collection tank through the waste ink collection hole. As shown in Figure 2 Figure 2 A plurality of waste ink collection holes 104 are shown in the horizontal region, and the waste ink collection holes 104 are connected to the waste ink collection tank (not shown in the figure) through a waste ink pipeline. Figure 2 The number of waste ink collection holes 104 in the figure is merely an example, and this specification does not limit it. ​​

[0054] It should be noted that the bottom of the waste ink collection cavity 100 can be provided with a waste ink collection hole 104, or can not be provided with a waste ink collection hole 104. When the waste ink collection hole 104 is provided, the waste ink can be stored in the waste ink collection tank; when the waste ink collection hole is not provided, the waste ink is directly stored in the waste ink collection cavity.

[0055] In one example, the side of the waste ink collection cavity is provided with an alcohol injection hole, so that the alcohol injection hole sprays alcohol onto the inclined area.

[0056] At this time, the waste ink is dissolved in alcohol, and by spraying alcohol on the inclined area, the waste ink can be further prevented from sticking to the inclined area, thereby facilitating waste ink collection. The alcohol injection hole is not shown in the drawing.

[0057] In one example, the waste ink collection hole is provided as a negative pressure hole.

[0058] At this time, by providing the waste ink collection hole as a negative pressure hole, even a slight negative pressure can further facilitate waste ink collection. The negative pressure pipeline is not shown in the drawing, and the negative pressure hole provides a suction force to the waste ink collection hole 102, facilitating the collection of waste ink.

[0059] In one example, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 The waste ink collection device further comprises a first movement mechanism, the first movement mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the waste ink collection cavity, and the first movement mechanism comprises a first rack 204, a sliding rail 201, a sliding block 202 and a first gear 203; wherein the first rack 204, the sliding rail 201 and the sliding block 202 are all fixedly connected with the bottom of the waste ink collection cavity 100, and the sliding rail 201 and the sliding block 202 are arranged in cooperation, and the sliding rail 201 slides in the sliding block 202; the first motor 205 is engaged with the first rack 204 through the first gear 203, so as to drive the waste ink collection cavity 100 to move in the first direction.

[0060] At this time, the first direction is the horizontal direction, which is also the maintenance area direction of the nozzle in the inkjet printer. When the inkjet printer is in the maintenance area in the non-working state, the waste ink collection device moves to the maintenance area through the first movement mechanism to collect waste ink from the nozzle. When the inkjet printer is in the working area in the working state, the waste ink collection device can be retracted in the maintenance area through the first movement mechanism, reducing the moving stroke of the nozzle (the motion axis of the nozzle has high precision and high cost; reducing the moving stroke of the nozzle means reducing the cost of the inkjet printer system); and by providing the rack, the sliding rail and the sliding block on the waste ink collection cavity, the space occupied by the waste ink collection cavity base can be further reduced, that is, the waste ink collection device saves space.

[0061] In addition, Figure 4Two slide rails 201 are shown in the figure, each of which has two sliders 202 in cooperation; and a rack 204 and a gear 203 are provided. However, the number and arrangement of the slide rails, sliders, racks and gears are not limited in the present specification, and can be set according to actual needs.

[0062] In one example, as Figure 5 shown. The waste ink collecting device further comprises a second movement mechanism, an upper layer plate 401, a lower layer plate 403 and a support rod 402. The upper layer plate 401 is fixedly connected with the waste ink collecting cavity 100 through the support 300 (as Figure 1 shown), and the second movement mechanism comprises a second rack 404 and a second gear 405. The support rod 402 and one end of the second rack 404 are fixedly connected with the upper layer plate, and the lower layer plate 403 is provided with through holes 408 (as Figure 3 shown) corresponding to the second rack 404 and the support rod 402. The positions of the through holes 408 are the same as the positions of the other ends of the support rod 402 and the second rack 404. The second motor 406 is arranged on the lower layer plate, and the second motor 406 is engaged with the second rack 404 through the second gear 405 to drive the waste ink collecting device to move up and down. When the waste ink collecting device is in the descending state, the other ends of the support rod 402 and the second rack 404 pass out of the through holes 408.

[0063] At this time, the second movement mechanism moves in the vertical direction. When the waste ink collecting device is in the non-working state or the maintenance state, it can be retracted to pull the waste ink collecting device away from the position of the maintenance area of the nozzle, reduce the space occupation of the waste ink collecting device in the non-working state, and facilitate the maintenance of the waste ink collecting device. In addition, the lifting of the second movement mechanism can also reduce the movement of the nozzle in the vertical direction. That is, when the waste ink collecting device collects waste ink, the position of the nozzle often does not need to move in the vertical direction.

[0064] As Figure 5 shown, when the waste ink collecting device is in the retracted state, the upper layer plate 401 stays at the buffer pad 407 and is accommodated in the side plate installed around the lower layer plate 403, thereby reducing the space occupation of the waste ink collecting device. Therefore, the support rod 402 and the second rack 404 need to be able to pass out of the corresponding through holes 408 of the lower layer plate 403. Figure 5 Four support rods 402 and one rack 404 are shown in the figure, but the number and position of the support rods and the rack are not limited in the present specification, and can be set according to actual needs.

[0065] It should be noted that for an inkjet printer system, reducing the space occupation of auxiliary equipment such as the waste ink collecting device has very important practical significance. It cannot facilitate the maintenance of the waste ink collecting device, and also leaves space for the movement and maintenance of other equipment.

[0066] In one example, the waste ink collecting device further comprises a waste ink collecting tank and a transparent tube, the waste ink collecting tank is arranged in a communicating relationship with the transparent tube; wherein the waste ink collecting tank is connected with the waste ink collecting chamber through the waste ink pipeline; the upper liquid level sensor and the lower liquid level sensor are arranged on the transparent tube, so as to monitor the liquid level in the transparent tube.

[0067] In the above example, by arranging the waste ink collecting tank and the transparent tube in a communicating relationship, it is convenient to view the liquid level height of the waste ink collecting tank by human eyes during maintenance; and the upper liquid level sensor can monitor whether the waste ink in the waste liquid collecting tank is full, and the lower liquid level sensor can monitor whether the waste ink in the waste liquid collecting tank is empty.

[0068] The present application discloses an inkjet printer, which comprises the waste ink collecting device according to any one of the above.

[0069] Here, the inkjet printer is also an inkjet printer system, which comprises an inkjet printing device and an auxiliary device related to inkjet printing.

[0070] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the forward direction of "X" in the drawings represents the front, and correspondingly, the reverse direction of "X" represents the rear; the forward direction of "Y" represents the right, and correspondingly, the reverse direction of "Y" represents the left; the forward direction of "Z" represents the upper, and correspondingly, the reverse direction of "Z" represents the lower; the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "X", "Y" and "Z" are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0071] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower" and the like are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. Unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connecting" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be fixed connection, or detachable connection, or integrally connected; it can be mechanical connection, or electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or the communication between two elements inside. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0072] It has to be noted that, in the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used merely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Moreover, the terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0073] The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the application via the use of specific terminology. However, embodiments thereof can be practiced without the specific details ("every" embodiment) set forth above. In general, the terms used are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive, and are used in conjunction with specific embodiments to assist in understanding the present application. The terms "comprise", "comprising", or any variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. The terms "comprise", "comprising", or any variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

Claims

1. A waste ink collection device, characterized in that, The waste ink collection device includes a waste ink collection chamber; wherein... The waste ink collection chamber consists of a cover plate and a groove, the cover plate and the groove are sealed together, and the groove is a deep groove structure; The cover plate is provided with a waste ink collection port, the size of which is larger than the printhead size of the inkjet printer, so that the ink droplets ejected by the printhead of the inkjet printer can enter the waste ink collection chamber from the waste ink collection port.

2. The waste ink collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, One or more waste ink collection ports are provided on the cover plate, and the number of waste ink collection ports is the same as the number of printheads of the inkjet printer.

3. The waste ink collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the groove includes two sloping regions and one horizontal region; wherein, The horizontal region is located between the two inclined regions to facilitate the flow of waste ink from the inclined regions to the horizontal region.

4. The waste ink collection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, Multiple waste ink collection holes are opened in the horizontal area to allow waste ink to flow from the waste ink collection holes into the waste ink collection tank.

5. The waste ink collection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, An alcohol spray hole is provided on the side of the waste ink collection chamber so that alcohol can be sprayed onto the inclined area.

6. The waste ink collection device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The waste ink collection hole is configured as a negative pressure hole.

7. The waste ink collection device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The waste ink collection device further includes a first motion mechanism, which is disposed at the bottom of the waste ink collection chamber. The first motion mechanism includes a first rack, a slide rail, a slider, and a first gear. The first rack, slide rail, and slider are all fastened to the bottom of the waste ink collection chamber, and the slide rail is configured to cooperate with the slider, with the slide rail sliding within the slider; The first electric motor meshes with the first rack via the first gear, so as to drive the waste ink collection chamber to move in the first direction.

8. The waste ink collection device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The waste ink collection device further includes a second motion mechanism, an upper plate, a lower plate, and a support rod. The upper plate is fastened to the waste ink collection chamber via a bracket. The second motion mechanism includes a second rack and a second gear. One end of the support rod and the second rack are both fastened to the upper plate, and a through hole is provided on the lower plate, the position of which is the same as the other end of the support rod and the second rack; The second motor is mounted on the lower plate, and the second motor meshes with the second rack through the second gear to drive the waste ink collection device to rise and fall; when the waste ink collection device is in the lowered state, the support rod and the other end of the second rack pass through the through hole.

9. The waste ink collection device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The waste ink collection device further includes a waste ink collection tank and a transparent tube, wherein the waste ink collection tank and the transparent tube are arranged in a communicating vessel manner; wherein... The waste ink collection tank and the waste ink collection chamber are connected by a waste ink pipeline; An upper liquid level sensor and a lower liquid level sensor are installed on the transparent tube to facilitate monitoring of the liquid level in the transparent tube.

10. An inkjet printer, characterized in that, The inkjet printer includes the waste ink collection device as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images