Ink supplementing box capable of supplementing ink for multiple times

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ink refilling box capable of refilling ink for multiple times, which comprises a box body, ink is stored in the box body, a main ink chamber, a quantitative chamber and a communication port are arranged in the box body, the main ink chamber is communicated with the quantitative chamber through the communication port, an air inlet controlled by an air valve is arranged on the upper side of the communication port, and an ink outlet capable of being closed is arranged at the lower end of the quantitative chamber. When the ink cartridge is not used, ink is stored in the main ink chamber and the quantitative chamber, when the ink is supplemented for the first time, the ink outlet is inserted in the supplementing position of the ink cartridge, the air valve is slid to open the air inlet, the ink in the quantitative chamber is supplemented into the ink cartridge through the ink outlet, and when the ink is supplemented subsequently, the air inlet and the ink outlet are closed, and the whole cartridge body is inclined. After ink in the main ink chamber is supplemented to the quantitative chamber, operation can be repeated, ink supplementing can be carried out, the traditional disposable design is broken through, repeated recycling of the ink box is achieved, the environmental pollution risk is remarkably reduced, the requirement of circular economy is met, meanwhile, the replacement frequency of the ink box can be reduced for a user, and the pain point of high consumable cost is effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an ink storage box for refilling ink cartridges, and more particularly to an ink refill box that can be refilled multiple times. Background Technology

[0002] In modern offices and daily life, printers are indispensable devices, and the disposable design of their core consumable ink cartridges has become a key pain point affecting printing experience and cost control. Once the ink runs out, printing can no longer continue, and refilling is difficult, leading to multiple problems such as resource waste, environmental pollution, and high usage costs. From a resource utilization perspective, ink cartridges, composed of plastic shells, ink reservoirs, and chips, are discarded entirely even if some components still have value. This not only occupies limited landfill space, but the non-degradable plastic shells also become a significant source of white pollution. Furthermore, improper disposal of residual ink can easily lead to water pollution, and black and colored powders may exacerbate air particulate pollution. In terms of usage costs, the frequent replacement of ink cartridges in high-frequency usage scenarios (such as educational institutions) to maintain printing needs has accumulated into significant economic burdens for small businesses and budget-sensitive groups, restricting their printing needs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, this utility model provides an ink refill box that can be refilled multiple times.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is:

[0005] A refillable ink cartridge includes a cartridge body storing ink. The cartridge body has a main ink chamber and a metering chamber. The upper ends of the main ink chamber and the metering chamber are provided with a communication port for connecting the main ink chamber and the metering chamber. The cartridge body is provided with an air inlet located above the communication port, which is controlled to open or close by an air valve. The lower end of the metering chamber is provided with a closable ink outlet.

[0006] The box body includes a main shell and a side cover. An ink storage chamber is provided inside the main shell. The main ink chamber and the metering chamber are located on the lower side of the ink storage chamber. The communication port is located on the upper side of the ink storage chamber. A sealing film for sealing the ink storage chamber is sealed and attached to the side wall of the ink storage chamber.

[0007] The rear wall of the main housing is provided with a viewing window located in the metering chamber, and the viewing window is provided with scale markings.

[0008] The box body is provided with a valve chamber on the upper side of the communication port. The valve is slidably installed in the valve chamber, and the air inlet is located on one side of the bottom of the valve chamber.

[0009] The bottom of the valve chamber is provided with a low platform, a high platform, and an inclined section for connecting the low platform and the high platform, and the air inlet is located on the high platform.

[0010] The valve chamber is provided with a slide groove, and the valve is provided with a slider part corresponding to the slide groove, and the slider part is slidably installed in the slide groove.

[0011] The valve is provided with a push rod at the top and a mounting post at the bottom. The push rod extends out of the outer side of the housing from the upper end of the valve chamber, and the mounting post is equipped with a sealing plug for sealing the bottom of the air inlet.

[0012] A sealing element is installed inside the ink outlet, and the sealing element is provided with an ink outlet channel. A self-sealing film that is punctured only during initial use is provided inside the ink outlet channel.

[0013] A removable sealing cap is installed at the bottom of the cartridge, and the sealing cap is fitted over the ink outlet.

[0014] The sealing cap is provided with a mounting base connected by a flexible strap, and the mounting base is fixedly installed at the bottom of the box body.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: The utility model includes a main ink chamber and a metering chamber within the cartridge. A connecting port is provided at the upper end of both the main ink chamber and the metering chamber to connect them. An air inlet, controlled by an air valve, is located above the connecting port. A closable ink outlet is located at the lower end of the metering chamber. When not in use, both the main ink chamber and the metering chamber contain ink. When refilling the cartridge for the first time, the ink outlet is inserted into the refilling position on the cartridge, and the air valve is slid to open the air inlet. Ink from the metering chamber is then added to the cartridge through the ink outlet. Subsequent refills are performed by closing the air inlet and the cartridge, tilting the entire cartridge, and allowing ink from the main ink chamber to fill the metering chamber. This process can be repeated, breaking through the traditional disposable design and enabling multiple recycling of the cartridge, significantly reducing environmental pollution risks and meeting the needs of a circular economy. Simultaneously, it reduces the frequency of cartridge replacement for users, effectively addressing the pain point of high consumable costs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is one of the structural diagrams of the main shell;

[0020] Figure 4This is the second structural diagram of the main shell;

[0021] Figure 5 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating the use of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 6 This is the second schematic diagram of the use of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 7 This is an enlarged view of the valve chamber;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the air valve;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the seal;

[0026] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of the positioning device;

[0027] Figure 11 This is an exploded view of the drill positioning cover. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features of the present utility model can be combined with each other.

[0029] It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention.

[0030] The following describes some embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Reference Figure 1-11 A refillable ink cartridge includes a cartridge body 1, which stores ink 2. The cartridge body 1 contains a main ink chamber 3 and a metering chamber 4. A connecting port 5 is located at the upper end of the main ink chamber 3 and the metering chamber 4 to connect them. An air inlet 7, controlled by an air valve 6, is located above the connecting port 5 on the cartridge body 1. A closable ink outlet 8 is located at the lower end of the metering chamber 4. When not in use, both the main ink chamber 3 and the metering chamber 4 contain ink. When refilling the cartridge for the first time, the ink outlet 8 is inserted. At the ink cartridge replenishment position, the sliding air valve 6 opens the air inlet 7, allowing ink in the metering chamber 4 to be replenished into the ink cartridge through the ink outlet 8. When replenishing ink later, the air inlet 7 and the ink outlet 8 are closed, and the entire cartridge is tilted so that ink from the main ink chamber 3 replenishes the metering chamber 4. This process can be repeated to replenish ink, breaking through the traditional disposable design and enabling multiple recycling of ink cartridges. This significantly reduces the risk of environmental pollution and meets the needs of the circular economy. At the same time, it allows users to reduce the frequency of ink cartridge replacement and effectively solves the pain point of high consumable costs.

[0032] like Figure 5 As shown, the first ink replenishment is complete. The metering chamber 4 is empty, while the ink level in the main ink chamber 3 remains unchanged. Figure 6 As shown, the ink in the main ink chamber 3 is replenished to the metering chamber 4. At this time, the metering chamber 4 contains ink, and the amount of ink in the main ink chamber 3 decreases.

[0033] The box body 1 includes a main shell 9 and a side cover 10. The main shell 9 is provided with an ink storage cavity 32. The main ink chamber 3 and the metering chamber 4 are located on the lower side of the ink storage cavity 32. The connecting port 5 is located on the upper side of the ink storage cavity 32. A sealing film 11 for sealing the ink storage cavity 32 is sealed and attached to the side wall of the ink storage cavity 32. The sealing film 11 is tightly attached to the side wall of the ink storage cavity 32 by hot pressing and other processes to ensure the sealing effect and prevent ink leakage.

[0034] The rear wall of the main housing 9 is provided with a viewing window 27 in the metering chamber 4. The viewing window 27 is provided with a scale mark 28 for observing the ink content in the metering chamber 4. Ink can be replenished according to different ink cartridges. The maximum amount of ink that can be replenished at one time is the maximum value shown by the scale mark 28, which is the maximum content of the metering chamber 4.

[0035] When refilling ink cartridges with the same maximum capacity as the metering chamber 4, you can pour this product to allow the ink to flow into the metering chamber 4. Ensure that the ink in the metering chamber 4 reaches its maximum capacity before refilling. This avoids situations where the ink cartridge capacity is 8 ml, but due to insufficient pouring, only 4 ml of ink remains in the metering chamber 4, resulting in the ink cartridge not being fully replenished and increasing the frequency of ink refills.

[0036] When refilling ink cartridges that exceed the capacity of metering chamber 4, you can add ink in several stages. For example, if the ink cartridge contains 10 ml and the maximum capacity of metering chamber 4 is 8 ml, you can first add 8 ml of ink, and then use this product to allow 2 ml of ink to flow into metering chamber 4, and then add another 2 ml of ink.

[0037] The box body 1 is provided with a valve chamber 12 on the upper side of the connecting port 5. The valve 6 is slidably installed in the valve chamber 12. The air inlet 7 is located on one side of the bottom of the valve chamber 12. When the valve 6 slides to separate from the air inlet 7, the air inlet 7 is opened. When the valve 6 slides to the air inlet 7, the air inlet 7 is blocked.

[0038] Furthermore, the bottom of the valve chamber 12 is provided with a low platform 13, a high platform 14, and a sloping part 15 for connecting the low platform 13 and the high platform 14. The air inlet 7 is located on the high platform 14. When the valve 6 slides from the low platform 13 to the high platform 14, the valve 6 will be subjected to greater compressive force due to the higher position of the high platform 14, thereby improving the sealing effect of the valve 6 on the air inlet 7.

[0039] The outer side of the box 1 is provided with an open sign 29 and a close sign 30 corresponding to the low platform 13 and the high platform 14, respectively. The open sign 29 and the close sign 30 are distinguished by color, pattern, or literal meaning. For example, when using color, green represents the open sign 29 and red represents the close sign 30.

[0040] A slide groove 16 is provided on the air valve chamber 12, and a slider part 17 is provided on the air valve 6 corresponding to the slide groove 16. The slider part 17 is slidably installed in the slide groove 16, and its function is to improve the sliding stability of the air valve 6.

[0041] Furthermore, one side of the slide groove 16 is on the main housing 9, and the other side is on the side cover 10. Only when the side cover 10 and the main housing 9 can a complete slide groove 16 be formed. Therefore, during installation, after placing the slider part 17 of the air valve 6 on the main housing 9 corresponding to the position of the slide groove 16, the side cover 10 can be installed.

[0042] A push rod 18 is provided on the top of the air valve 6. The push rod 18 extends out of the outer side of the box 1 from the upper end of the air valve chamber 12. When it is necessary to push the air valve 6, the push rod 18 can be pushed, which is convenient for the user to operate.

[0043] Furthermore, the push rod 18 is provided with an indicator 33 corresponding to the open indicator 29 and the close indicator 30. Only when the push rod 18 is pushed so that the indicator 33 is opposite to the open indicator 29 or the close indicator 30, does it indicate that the air valve 6 has slid into place.

[0044] The bottom of the air valve 6 is provided with a mounting post 19, and a sealing plug 20 is installed on the mounting post 19 to seal the bottom of the air inlet 7. The sealing plug 20 is a cylindrical structure with an opening on the top. The side wall of the sealing plug 20 is used to fit on the mounting post 19, and the bottom of the sealing plug 20 is used to seal the air inlet 7.

[0045] Furthermore, the sealing plug 20 is made of a flexible material such as silicone. When the air valve 6 slides from the low platform 13 to the high platform 14, the bottom of the sealing plug 20 will be squeezed, resulting in further deformation, thereby improving the sealing effect on the air inlet 7.

[0046] A seal 21 is installed inside the ink outlet 8. The seal 21 is provided with an ink outlet channel 22. A self-sealing film 23 is provided inside the ink outlet channel 22, which is punctured only during initial use. At least one first sealing ring is provided on the outside of the seal 21. When the seal 21 is installed, the inside of the ink outlet 8 and the seal 21 press against the first sealing ring and deform it, thereby improving the sealing performance between the ink outlet 8 and the seal 21.

[0047] A removable sealing cap 24 is installed at the bottom of the housing 1. The sealing cap 24 is fitted over the ink outlet 8. At least one second sealing ring is provided on the inner side of the sealing cap 24. When the sealing cap 24 is installed, the sealing cap 24 and the outer side of the ink outlet 8 compress the second sealing ring and deform it, thereby improving the sealing performance between the ink outlet 8 and the sealing cap 24.

[0048] The sealing cap 24 is provided with a mounting base 26 connected by a flexible strip 25, and the mounting base 26 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the box body 1.

[0049] Furthermore, the size of the mounting base 26 is greater than the thickness of the flexible strip 25. The main housing 9 is provided with a sliding insertion port 31, and the flexible strip 25 is inserted into the sliding insertion port 31 to restrict the mounting base 26 to the inside of the main housing 9. After the side cover 10 is installed, the sealing cap 24 can be installed.

[0050] Furthermore, the sealing cap 24, the flexible strip 25, and the mounting base 26 are integrated into one structure and are made of flexible materials such as silicone.

[0051] This product can be used with a positioning device for fixing ink cartridges. The positioning device includes a base 34 and an ink filling positioning cover 35. The base 34 is used to fix the ink cartridge and position it. The ink filling positioning cover 35 is provided with an ink filling nozzle 36. An ink filling needle 37 is installed in the center of the ink filling nozzle 36. When refilling ink, the ink outlet 8 is inserted into the ink filling nozzle 36. The ink filling needle 37 will puncture the self-sealing film 23 and then push the air valve 6 to open the air inlet 7. At this time, the ink in the metering chamber 4 flows into the ink cartridge through the ink filling needle 37.

[0052] Furthermore, the ink filling positioning cover 35 on the base 34 can be replaced with a drilling positioning cover 38. The drilling positioning cover 38 is provided with a positioning hole 39 for guiding the drill bit to perform precise machining. A copper sleeve 40 is installed in the positioning hole 39. The positioning hole 39 and the copper sleeve 40 are tightly fitted together. Before refilling the ink cartridge, a through hole for refilling ink needs to be machined in the ink cartridge with a drill bit. The function of the drilling positioning cover 38 is to ensure the accuracy of the drilling position and to prevent the ink cartridge from being damaged due to the user's unfamiliarity with drilling operations.

[0053] In this invention, the term "multiple" refers to two or more items unless otherwise expressly defined. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items. The terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; "linking" can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0054] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "assembled on," "mounted on," "fixed to," or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0055] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer 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.

[0056] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refillable ink cartridge comprising a cartridge body (1) in which ink (2) is stored, characterised in that The cartridge (1) is provided with a main ink chamber (3) and a dosing chamber (4), the main ink chamber (3) and the upper end of the dosing chamber (4) are provided with a communication port (5) for communicating the main ink chamber (3) and the dosing chamber (4), the upper side of the communication port (5) of the cartridge (1) is provided with an air inlet (7) controlled by an air valve (6), and the lower end of the dosing chamber (4) is provided with a closable ink outlet (8).

2. The refillable ink refill according to claim 1, characterized in that The cartridge (1) comprises a main shell (9) and a side cover (10), the main shell (9) is provided with an ink storage cavity (32), the main ink chamber (3) and the dosing chamber (4) are arranged on the lower side of the ink storage cavity (32), the communication port (5) is arranged on the upper side of the ink storage cavity (32), and a sealing film (11) for sealing the ink storage cavity (32) is sealingly attached to the side wall of the ink storage cavity (32).

3. The refillable ink refill according to claim 2, characterized in that The rear wall of the main shell (9) is provided with a viewing window (27) at the dosing chamber (4), and the viewing window (27) is provided with a scale mark (28).

4. The refillable ink refill according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The cartridge (1) is provided with an air valve chamber (12) on the upper side of the communication port (5), the air valve (6) is slidably installed in the air valve chamber (12), and the air inlet (7) is arranged on one side of the bottom of the air valve chamber (12).

5. The refillable ink refill according to claim 4, characterized in that The bottom of the air valve chamber (12) is provided with a low platform (13), a high platform (14) and a slope portion (15) for connecting the low platform (13) and the high platform (14), and the air inlet (7) is arranged on the high platform (14).

6. The refillable ink refill according to claim 5, characterized in that The air valve chamber (12) is provided with a sliding groove (16), the air valve (6) is provided with a sliding block portion (17) corresponding to the sliding groove (16), and the sliding block portion (17) is slidably installed in the sliding groove (16).

7. The refillable ink refill of claim 4, wherein The top of the air valve (6) is provided with a push rod (18), and the bottom is provided with a mounting column (19), the push rod (18) extends out of the cartridge (1) from the upper end of the air valve chamber (12), and the mounting column (19) is installed with a sealing plug (20) for sealing the air inlet (7).

8. The refillable ink refill of claim 1, wherein The ink outlet (8) is provided with a sealing element (21), the sealing element (21) is provided with an ink outlet channel (22), and the ink outlet channel (22) is provided with a self-sealing film (23) which is pierced only at first use.

9. The refillable ink refill of claim 1, wherein The bottom of the cartridge (1) is provided with a detachable sealing cap (24), and the sealing cap (24) is sleeved on the outside of the ink outlet (8).

10. The refillable ink refill according to claim 9, characterized in that The sealing cap (24) is provided with a flexible belt (25) connected mounting seat (26), and the mounting seat (26) is fixedly installed on the bottom of the cartridge (1).

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