Ink stack waste ink pumping mechanism and printer

Abstract

The utility model relates to an ink stack waste ink pumping mechanism which comprises an ink stack, a first three-way valve and a waste ink pump, the ink stack comprises an ink stack assembly and an ink stack maintenance base, the ink stack assembly is connected to the ink stack maintenance base, and the first three-way valve is connected with the ink stack assembly, the ink stack maintenance base and the waste ink pump. When the first three-way valve works, the ink stack assembly is communicated with the waste ink pump or the ink stack maintenance base is communicated with the waste ink pump, and when the waste ink pump works, waste ink in the ink stack assembly or the ink stack maintenance base is extracted through the first three-way valve. The ink stack, the first three-way valve and the waste ink pump are arranged, the waste ink pump directly pumps waste ink in the ink stack, and compared with a manual cleaning mode, the automation degree is high, workers are not prone to scratching the ink stack, the spray head assembly and the like, the possibility of structural damage is reduced, and the maintenance cost of enterprises can be saved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of printers, in particular to an ink stack waste ink pumping mechanism and a printer. BACKGROUND

[0002] The UV printer (Ultraviolet LED Inkjet Printer) is a high-tech plateless full-color digital printer that is not limited by materials. It can perform color photo-level printing on the surfaces of T-shirts, sliding doors, cabinet doors, sliding doors, glass, boards, various signs, crystal, PVC, acrylic, metal, plastic, stone, leather, etc. Without the need for plate making, it can complete printing in one pass, with beautiful and rich colors, wear resistance, UV resistance, simple and convenient operation, fast printing image speed, and complete compliance with industrial printing standards.

[0003] After printing for a period of time, the print head needs to be refilled in the ink stack for maintenance. When the print head is maintained, the print head will directly spray waste ink into the ink stack assembly. After scraping the residual waste ink on the print head, it will also flow into the ink stack maintenance seat along the wiper blade. Waste ink has corrosive and volatile irritating odor characteristics, so it is necessary to clean the waste ink in the ink stack in a timely manner. Some waste ink treatment methods for ink stack accumulation on the market are manually cleaned. The manual cleaning method has a low degree of mechanization, is easy to scratch the product structure, causes damage to the product, and also causes irritation to the workers when the waste ink is volatilized, which is not conducive to health.

[0004] Therefore, the prior art has defects and needs to be improved. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides an ink stack waste ink pumping mechanism and a printer to solve the problem of low degree of mechanization of manual cleaning, easy to scratch the product structure, cause damage to the product, and also cause irritation to the workers when the waste ink is volatilized, which is not conducive to health.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides an ink stack waste ink pumping mechanism, comprising a first three-way valve, a waste ink pump, an ink stack assembly and an ink stack maintenance seat, the first three-way valve is connected with the ink stack assembly, the ink stack maintenance seat and the waste ink pump respectively, and the first three-way valve realizes the communication of the ink stack assembly and the waste ink pump or the communication of the ink stack maintenance seat and the waste ink pump when working.

[0007] When the first three-way valve communicates the ink stack assembly and the waste ink pump, the liquid in the ink stack assembly can be pumped out by the waste ink pump; when the first three-way valve communicates the ink stack maintenance seat and the waste ink pump, the liquid in the ink stack maintenance seat can be pumped out by the waste ink pump.

[0008] Optionally, the ink stack further comprises a wiper assembly disposed on the ink stack maintenance seat and adjacent to the ink stack assembly, the wiper assembly being configured to scrape the residual ink of the printhead assembly into the ink stack maintenance seat.

[0009] Optionally, the ink stack further comprises a negative pressure detection device connected to a pipeline connecting the waste ink pump and the first three-way valve.

[0010] Optionally, the ink stack further comprises a waste ink box connected to the waste ink pump, the waste ink box being configured to collect the waste ink pumped by the waste ink pump.

[0011] In the second aspect, the application provides a printer comprising the ink stack waste ink pumping mechanism according to the first aspect.

[0012] Optionally, the ink stack further comprises a liquid supply device and a printhead assembly, the printhead assembly being connected to the liquid supply device, the liquid supply device being configured to supply cleaning liquid and / or moisturizing liquid to the printhead assembly, the printhead assembly being sealed with the ink stack assembly, and the ink stack maintenance seat being configured to collect the waste ink scraped from the printhead assembly.

[0013] Optionally, the printhead assembly comprises a second three-way valve, a third three-way valve group and a printhead, the second three-way valve being connected to the liquid supply device and the third three-way valve group respectively, and the third three-way valve group being connected to the printhead.

[0014] Optionally, the liquid supply device comprises a liquid supply part, a liquid adding quantifying device, a liquid pumping part and a fourth three-way valve, the liquid pumping part being connected to the liquid supply part and the fourth three-way valve respectively, and the fourth three-way valve being connected to the second three-way valve and the liquid adding quantifying device respectively.

[0015] Optionally, the ink stack further comprises an ink cartridge and an ink stack, the third three-way valve group being connected to the ink cartridge, and the printhead being connected to the ink stack.

[0016] Optionally, the ink stack further comprises a container, the container comprising a main cavity serving as the waste ink box of the ink stack waste ink pumping mechanism and an auxiliary cavity serving as the liquid supply part, the main cavity and the auxiliary cavity being separated by a soft film.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the above technical solution provided by the embodiments of the application has the following advantages:

[0018] The embodiment of the present application sets the ink stack, the first three-way valve and the waste ink pump, the waste ink pump directly extracts the waste ink in the ink stack, compared with the manual cleaning method, has higher automation degree, the staff will not easily scratch the ink stack, the nozzle assembly and the like, reduces the possibility of structural damage, is beneficial to save the maintenance cost of enterprises, and also can make the staff avoid inhaling the irritating gas volatilized by the waste ink, improves the safety factor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The drawings incorporated into the specification and forming a part thereof illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the application.

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained from these drawings without creative labor.

[0021] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by the pictures in the drawings corresponding thereto, and these exemplary illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, unless otherwise specified. The drawings in the drawings do not constitute a proportional limitation.

[0022] Figure 1 A perspective view of an ink stack, an ink stack assembly adapter pipe, an ink stack maintenance seat adapter pipe, a waste ink pump adapter pipe and a fourth three-way valve provided for the embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 2 An exploded view of an ink stack, an ink stack assembly adapter pipe, an ink stack maintenance seat adapter pipe, a waste ink pump adapter pipe and a fourth three-way valve provided for the embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 3 A structural diagram of a printer provided for the embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 4 A planar structural diagram of a liquid adding and quantifying device from one perspective provided for the embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Figure 5 A cross-sectional structural diagram of a liquid adding and quantifying device provided for the embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Figure 6 A cross-sectional structural diagram of a liquid adding and quantifying device after injecting liquid provided for the embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 7 A structural schematic diagram of a container provided for the embodiment of the present application.

[0029] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] 1, ink stack; 2, first three-way valve; 3, waste ink pump; 4, ink stack assembly; 5, wiper assembly; 6, ink stack maintenance seat; 7, waste ink box; 8, ink stack assembly adapter pipe; 9, ink stack maintenance seat adapter pipe; 10, waste ink pump adapter pipe; 11, negative pressure detection device; 14, second three-way valve; 15, ink cartridge; 16, third three-way valve group; 17, printhead assembly; 18, liquid supply part; 19, liquid adding metering device; 20, liquid pumping part; 21, fourth three-way valve; 22, barrel; 23, piston assembly; 24, accommodating groove cover; 25, limiting structure; 26, accommodating groove; 27, liquid inlet; 28, piston main body; 29, elastic hollow column; 30, through port; 31, piston column; 32, piston head; 33, abutting piece; 34, printhead; 35, container; 37, soft film. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0032] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing the various structures of the present application. For the purpose of simplicity, the description of a particular example will not necessarily be repeated in the description of each example. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present application. In addition, reference numbers and / or letters can be repeated in different examples in the present application. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements being discussed.

[0033] For ease of description, spatial relative terms can be used herein to describe the relative position relationship or movement condition of one element or feature with respect to another element or feature as shown in the drawings, such as "inner", "outer", "inboard", "outboard", "under", "below", "on", "above", "front", "back", etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if the device in the drawings is turned over or the posture is changed or the movement state is changed, the directional indications will also change accordingly, for example: the element described as "under" or "below" other elements or features will be subsequently oriented as "above" or "above" other elements or features. Therefore, the example term "below" can include both the upper and lower positions. The device can be additionally oriented (rotated by 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatial relative relationship descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0034] In order to solve the technical problems in the prior art, the application provides an ink stack waste ink pumping mechanism and a printer, which can realize the pumping of waste ink in the ink stack through the setting of the ink stack, the first three-way valve and the waste ink pump. Compared with the manual cleaning method, the automatic degree is high, the staff will not easily scratch the ink stack, the nozzle assembly and the like, the possibility of structural damage is reduced, the maintenance cost of enterprises is saved, the staff can be prevented from inhaling irritating gas volatilized from waste ink, and the safety factor is improved.

[0035] Figures 1-3This application provides an ink stack waste ink extraction mechanism for removing waste ink sprayed directly from the printhead assembly 17 into the ink stack 1 and for extracting waste ink scraped from the printhead assembly 17 into the ink stack 1. The mechanism includes the aforementioned ink stack 1, a first three-way valve 2, and a waste ink pump 3. Two ports of the first three-way valve 2 are connected to the ink stack 1, and the other port is connected to the waste ink pump 3. The ink stack 1 is connected to the aforementioned printhead assembly 17. The waste ink pump 3 extracts waste ink from the ink stack 1 through the first three-way valve 2, thereby reducing the possibility of waste ink accumulation and sedimentation causing corrosion and blockage of the ink stack 1. This helps to extend the service life of the ink stack 1, and timely recycling of waste ink also avoids the environmental pollution caused by the random volatilization of waste ink. Furthermore, the ink stack 1 includes an ink stack assembly 4, a scraper assembly 5, and an ink stack maintenance seat 6. The ink stack assembly 4 is connected to the ink stack maintenance seat 6, and the scraper assembly 5 is also disposed on the ink stack maintenance seat 6 and adjacent to the ink stack assembly 4. The ink stack maintenance seat 6 serves as an assembly and support structure for the ink stack assembly 4 and the scraper assembly 5. A first three-way valve 2 is connected to the ink stack assembly 4, the ink stack maintenance seat 6, and the waste ink pump 3. When the first three-way valve 2 is in operation, it is controlled by an external control mechanism connected to it to connect the ink stack assembly 4 to the waste ink pump 3 or the ink stack maintenance seat 6 to the waste ink pump 3. Specifically, when the first three-way valve connects the ink stack assembly to the waste ink pump, the liquid in the ink stack assembly can be extracted by the waste ink pump; when the first three-way valve connects the ink stack maintenance seat to the waste ink pump, the liquid in the ink stack maintenance seat can be extracted by the waste ink pump. Furthermore, the scraper assembly 5 is used to scrape off the ink remaining on the printhead assembly 17.

[0036] Furthermore, the waste ink extraction mechanism of the ink stack also includes a waste ink box 7, which is connected to the waste ink pump 3. The waste ink box 7 is used to collect the waste ink extracted by the waste ink pump 3. The waste ink box 7 enables the centralized collection of waste ink extracted by the waste ink pump 3, so that after a certain amount of waste ink is collected in the waste ink box 7, the waste ink can be centrally cleaned and reused.

[0037] In this invention, the first three-way valve 2 isolates the waste ink pump 3 from the ink stack maintenance seat 6 when it is pumping waste ink from the ink stack assembly 4. This helps maintain a relatively sealed environment, making it easier for the waste ink pump 3 to pump internally and create a negative pressure environment to extract waste ink from the ink stack assembly 4. Similarly, the waste ink pump 3 isolates the waste ink pump 3 from the ink stack assembly 4 when it is pumping waste ink from the ink stack maintenance seat 6. This helps maintain a relatively sealed environment, making it easier for the waste ink pump 3 to pump internally and create a negative pressure environment to extract waste ink from the ink stack maintenance seat 6.

[0038] Furthermore, the ink stack waste ink extraction mechanism also includes an ink stack component adapter pipe 8, an ink stack maintenance seat adapter pipe 9, and a waste ink pump adapter pipe 10. The ink stack component adapter pipe 8 is connected to the ink stack component 4 and the first three-way valve 2, respectively. The ink stack maintenance seat adapter pipe 9 is connected to the ink stack maintenance seat 6 and the first three-way valve 2, respectively. The ink stack maintenance seat 6 is connected to the first three-way valve 2 through the ink stack maintenance seat 6 adapter pipe 9. The waste ink pump adapter pipe 10 is connected to the waste ink pump 3 and the first three-way valve 2, respectively. The waste ink pump 3 is connected to the first three-way valve 2 through the waste ink pump adapter pipe 10.

[0039] Furthermore, the waste ink extraction mechanism of the ink stack in this utility model also includes a negative pressure detection device 11, which is connected to the pipeline connecting the waste ink pump 3 and the first three-way valve 2. The negative pressure detection device 11 is used to detect the sealing condition between the waste ink pump 3 and the ink stack assembly 4 or the ink stack maintenance seat 6. When the waste ink pump 3 is working, it needs to maintain a certain negative pressure state. When the ink stack assembly 4 and the ink stack maintenance seat 6 are sealed with the waste ink pump 3, the negative pressure detection device 11 detects that the air pressure between the waste ink pump 3 and the ink stack assembly 4, and between the waste ink pump 3 and the ink stack maintenance seat 6 is negative, and the waste ink pump 3 can smoothly extract the waste ink from the ink stack 1; when the ink stack assembly 4 or the ink stack maintenance seat 6 is sealed with the waste ink pump 3, the negative pressure detection device 11 detects that the air pressure between the waste ink pump 3 and the ink stack assembly 4, and between the waste ink pump 3 and the ink stack maintenance seat 6 is negative, the waste ink pump 3 can smoothly extract the waste ink from the ink stack 1; when the ink stack assembly 4 or the ink stack maintenance seat 6 is sealed with the waste ink pump 3, the waste ink pump 3 can smoothly extract the waste ink from the ink stack 1. When the waste ink pump 3 is not in a sealed state, the negative pressure detection device 11 detects that the air pressure between the waste ink pump 3 and the ink stack assembly 4, and between the waste ink pump 3 and the ink stack connection seat is at normal pressure. This makes it difficult for the waste ink pump 3 to extract the waste ink. The staff can understand the sealing status between the waste ink pump 3 and the ink stack assembly 4, and the ink stack maintenance seat 6 based on the pressure data displayed by the negative pressure detection device 11, so as to carry out maintenance in a timely manner and avoid the situation where the waste ink is not extracted in time due to the low working efficiency of the waste ink pump 3.

[0040] Please see Figure 3 This utility model also provides a printer, which includes the aforementioned ink stack waste ink extraction mechanism, a liquid supply device, and the aforementioned printhead assembly 17. The printhead assembly 17 is connected to the liquid supply device, which provides cleaning fluid and / or humidifying fluid to the printhead assembly 17. The ink stack 1 is used to collect waste ink from the printhead assembly 17. The ink stack assembly 4 is sealed to the printhead assembly 17. Waste ink from the printhead assembly 17 flows through the ink stack assembly 4 and is drawn into the waste ink cartridge 7 by the waste ink pump 3 via the ink stack assembly adapter 8. The ink stack maintenance seat 6 is used to collect waste ink scraped off the printhead assembly 17 by the wiper assembly 5. This waste ink is drawn into the waste ink cartridge 7 by the waste ink pump 3 via the ink stack maintenance seat adapter 9.

[0041] Furthermore, the printer also includes an ink cartridge 15, and the printhead assembly 17 includes a second three-way valve 14, a third three-way valve group 16, and a printhead 34. The second three-way valve 14 is connected to the liquid supply device and the third three-way valve group 16, respectively. The third three-way valve group 16 is also connected to the ink cartridge 15 and the printhead 34, wherein the printhead 34 is connected to the ink stack 1. An external control device can control the working state of the first three-way valve 2, the second three-way valve 14, and the third three-way valve group 16 to achieve different pipeline connections, so as to realize the waste ink pump 3 to pump waste ink from the ink stack assembly 4 or the ink stack maintenance seat 6, to realize the liquid supply device to provide cleaning fluid and / or moisturizing fluid to the printhead assembly 17, and to realize the ink cartridge 15 to provide ink to the printhead 34.

[0042] Furthermore, the liquid supply device includes a liquid supply section 18, a liquid addition metering device 19, a liquid extraction section 20, and a fourth three-way valve 21. The liquid extraction section 20 is connected to the liquid supply section 18 and the fourth three-way valve 21. The fourth three-way valve 21 is also connected to the second three-way valve 14 and the liquid addition metering device 19. The liquid extraction section 20 extracts liquid from the liquid supply section 18 and supplies it to the liquid addition metering device 19 through the fourth three-way valve 21. Each time, the liquid addition metering device 19 supplies the same volume of liquid to the nozzle 34 through the second three-way valve 14 via the fourth three-way valve 21.

[0043] In this printer, there are two liquid supply units 18, two liquid addition metering devices 19, two liquid extraction units 20 and two four-way valves 21, which correspond to each other. The liquid supply unit 18 provides cleaning liquid and moisturizing liquid to the liquid addition metering device 19 respectively. The liquid addition metering device 19 provides cleaning liquid and / or moisturizing liquid according to the needs of the printhead 34.

[0044] Please continue reading. Figure 3 Two liquid supply sections 18 are fixedly installed at both ends of the waste ink box 7, providing a more stable environment for the smaller liquid supply sections 18. This helps reduce the possibility of the liquid supply sections 18 tipping over or spilling liquid. It also makes it easier for staff to monitor the remaining amount of cleaning fluid and / or moisturizing fluid and the amount of waste ink stored, reducing the occurrence of situations where cleaning fluid and / or moisturizing fluid are used up and not replenished in time, or waste ink overflows, due to scattered installation and missed checks.

[0045] Or see Figure 7 In some embodiments, the printer includes a container 35, which includes a main cavity serving as a waste ink cartridge 7 and an auxiliary cavity serving as a liquid supply unit 18, the main cavity and the auxiliary cavity being separated by a soft membrane 37.

[0046] Specifically, the waste ink cartridge 7 and at least one liquid supply unit 18 are integrated into the container 35, meaning one or two liquid supply units 18 can be integrated with the waste ink cartridge 7 into the container 35. The two liquid supply units 18 are used to hold cleaning fluid and humidifying fluid respectively. The flexible membrane 37 is expandable; when the cleaning fluid and humidifying fluid decrease, the volume of the liquid supply unit 18 decreases with pressure changes, and the reduced volume can hold more waste ink. The container 35, printhead assembly 17, and ink stack 1 form a system. The cleaning fluid and humidifying fluid in the container 35 are drawn into the liquid addition metering device 19 via the extraction unit 16. The liquid addition metering device 19 supplies cleaning fluid or humidifying fluid according to the needs of the printhead assembly 17. The ink stack 1 extracts the cleaning fluid, humidifying fluid, and waste ink from the printhead assembly 17 and recycles them into the waste ink cartridge 7.

[0047] Further, please refer to Figures 4-6 The liquid addition metering device 19 includes a barrel 22, a piston assembly 23, a container cover 24, and a limiting structure 25. A container 26 is provided at one end of the barrel 22, and a liquid inlet 27 is provided at the bottom of the container 26. The piston assembly 23 is partially housed in the container 26 and partially extends out of the container 26. The piston assembly 23 located at the bottom of the container 26 matches the shape and size of the cross-section of the container 26. The piston assembly 23 located at the bottom of the container 26 can move along the inner wall of the container 26. The piston assembly 23, which matches the cross-section of the container 26, can also seal with the container 26 during movement to prevent liquid leakage from between the container 26 and the piston assembly 23. The container cover 24 seals the opening of the container 26 and is fixedly connected to the container 26. The limiting structure 25 is fixedly installed at the opening of the container 26, specifically on the side of the container cover 24 near the bottom of the container 26.

[0048] The working principle of this invention is as follows: An external liquid supply mechanism injects liquid into the liquid adding metering device 19 through the liquid inlet 27. The liquid enters and provides thrust to the piston assembly 23, causing the piston assembly 23 to move away from the bottom of the receiving tank 26. When the piston assembly 23 has moved a distance A, it is stopped by the limiting structure 25 located at the opening and cannot continue to move. At this time, a certain amount of liquid has accumulated in the receiving tank 26, and the volume of the liquid is the volume of the receiving tank 26 from the bottom of the receiving tank 26 to a distance A from the bottom of the receiving tank 26. The liquid adding metering device 19 provides a precise amount of liquid by outputting the stored metered liquid. Precise metering is achieved through a simple constraint structure between the limiting structure 25 and the piston assembly 23, eliminating the situation where the metered liquid cannot be accurately output due to the dimensional tolerances of the water pump components or the speed tolerances of the motor. Specifically, the specific value of the distance A can be determined according to the volume of the liquid to be metered and the shape and size of the receiving tank 26.

[0049] In this invention, the barrel 22 is preferably cylindrical, which has the advantages of regular structure, easy volume determination, and smooth sidewalls that facilitate the movement of the piston assembly 23. It can also be prismatic, elliptical, or other regular shapes to facilitate the movement of the piston assembly 23 and volume calculation. The cover 24 of the receiving groove can prevent stains from entering the inner wall of the receiving groove 26 from the opening of the receiving groove 26 to a certain extent, which is beneficial to improving the cleanliness and service life of the product. The piston assembly 23 is used to push back the liquid after being pushed by the liquid, so as to realize the output of a quantitative liquid without the need for an additional push mechanism, which helps to simplify the structure and improve reliability.

[0050] Furthermore, the piston assembly 23 includes a piston body 28 and an elastic hollow column 29. The elastic hollow column 29 is sleeved on the piston body 28, with one end abutting against the piston body 28 and the other end abutting against the receiving groove cover 24. A passage 30, matching the shape and size of the end of the piston body 28 furthest from the bottom of the receiving groove 26, is provided in the middle of the receiving groove cover 24. A portion of the piston body 28 extends out of the receiving groove 26 through the passage 30. A limiting structure 25 is disposed around the periphery of the passage 30. When the piston body 28 contacts the bottom of the receiving groove 26, it is in a slightly compressed state, allowing for easy liquid injection and providing a certain rebound force to push the liquid out of the piston body 28. Preferably, the elastic hollow column 29 of this invention is a spring structure, which has the advantages of stable performance and long-term use. However, it is not limited to this; a hollow column structure made of elastic rubber material can also be used.

[0051] Furthermore, the piston body 28 includes a piston rod 31 and a piston head 32. The piston head 32 is fixedly connected to one end of the piston rod 31. The shape and size of the cross-section of the piston head 32 match the shape and size of the cross-section of the receiving groove 26. The shape and size of the cross-section of the piston rod 31 match the shape and size of the through port 30. The piston head 32 is disposed within the receiving groove 26 and is sealed to the inner wall of the receiving groove 26. Part of the piston rod 31 extends out of the receiving groove 26 from the through port 30. The partially protruding piston rod 31 is used to restrict the direction of movement in conjunction with the through port 30, based on the piston head 32, to prevent the piston head 32 and piston rod 31 from deviating in their direction of movement, which could lead to structural loosening and improve the product's service life.

[0052] Furthermore, an abutment member 33 is fixedly provided on the side of the piston column 31. The abutment member 33 is used to abut against the elastic hollow column 29 and the limiting structure 25. Specifically, the dimension of the abutment member 33 in the cross-section of the piston column 31 is larger than the dimension of the elastic hollow column 29. One end of the elastic hollow column 29 abuts against the abutment member 33, and the other end abuts against the receiving groove cover 24. In this utility model, the limiting structure 25 is a hollow column structure covering the outside of the through-hole 30. The dimension of the limiting structure 25 in the cross-section of the piston column 31 is larger than the dimension of the elastic hollow column 29 and smaller than the dimension of the abutment member 33. That is, the limiting structure 25 can accommodate part of the elastic hollow column 29 at one end of the receiving groove cover 24, thus achieving the abutment against the piston column 31. While the abutting member 33 abuts against the piston, it also protects the elastic hollow column 29, preventing damage caused by excessive deformation in the circumferential direction when compressed. This helps extend the service life of the elastic hollow column 29. Furthermore, the abutting member 33 helps to correct the movement posture of the piston body 28. This ensures that the piston body 28, which may have a slight tilt, is aligned after contact between the abutting member 33 and the hollow cylindrical limiting structure 25. This aligns its retraction direction with the extension direction of the receiving groove 26, reducing the possibility of leakage and increased friction with the inner wall of the receiving groove 26, which could damage the piston head 32. This helps to reduce maintenance costs and extend the product's service life. It is understood that the limiting structure 25 can also be a single or multiple small cylindrical structures located outside the passage 30, including but not limited to these, as long as the limiting structure 25 abuts against the abutting member 33 when the piston column 31 moves away from the receiving groove 26.

[0053] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0054] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0055] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0056] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0057] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0058] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. The illustrative expressions of the above terms in this specification should not be construed as necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0059] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Since these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

[0060] The above description describes specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A waste ink extraction mechanism for an ink stack, characterized in that: It includes a first three-way valve, a waste ink pump, an ink stack assembly, and an ink stack maintenance base. The first three-way valve is connected to the ink stack assembly, the ink stack maintenance base, and the waste ink pump respectively. When the first three-way valve is working, it enables the ink stack assembly to connect with the waste ink pump or the ink stack maintenance base to connect with the waste ink pump. Specifically, when the first three-way valve connects the ink stack assembly to the waste ink pump, the liquid in the ink stack assembly can be extracted by the waste ink pump; when the first three-way valve connects the ink stack maintenance seat to the waste ink pump, the liquid in the ink stack maintenance seat can be extracted by the waste ink pump.

2. The ink stack waste ink extraction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ink stack also includes a scraper assembly, which is disposed on the ink stack maintenance base and adjacent to the ink stack assembly. The scraper assembly is used to scrape the ink remaining in the printhead assembly into the ink stack maintenance base.

3. The ink stack waste ink extraction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a negative pressure detection device, which is connected to the pipeline connecting the waste ink pump and the first three-way valve.

4. The ink stack waste ink extraction mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a waste ink cartridge, which is connected to the waste ink pump and is used to collect the waste ink pumped by the waste ink pump.

5. A printer, characterized in that: Includes the ink stack waste ink extraction mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-4.

6. The printer according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a liquid supply device and a printhead assembly, the printhead assembly being connected to the liquid supply device, the liquid supply device being used to provide cleaning fluid and / or moisturizing fluid to the printhead assembly, the printhead assembly being sealed to the ink stack assembly, and the ink stack maintenance seat being used to collect waste ink scraped off from the printhead assembly.

7. The printer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The nozzle assembly includes a second three-way valve, a third three-way valve group, and a nozzle. The second three-way valve is connected to the liquid supply device and the third three-way valve group, respectively, and the third three-way valve group is connected to the nozzle.

8. The printer according to claim 7, characterized in that: The liquid supply device includes a liquid supply section, a liquid addition metering device, a liquid extraction section, and a fourth three-way valve. The liquid extraction section is connected to the liquid supply section and the fourth three-way valve, and the fourth three-way valve is also connected to the second three-way valve and the liquid addition metering device.

9. The printer according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes an ink cartridge, and the third three-way valve assembly is also connected to the ink cartridge.

10. The printer according to claim 8, characterized in that: The container includes a main cavity for the waste ink cartridge, which serves as the waste ink extraction mechanism of the ink stack, and an auxiliary cavity, which serves as the liquid supply unit. The main cavity and the auxiliary cavity are separated by a soft membrane.

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