Printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection early warning

Abstract

The utility model belongs to printer accessory technical field, specifically disclose a kind of printer waste ink storehouse with waste ink collection early warning, including waste ink storehouse main part, the opening is established in waste ink storehouse main part upper, opening upper is provided with cover, cover is opened with waste ink import, waste ink storehouse main part inside is provided with ink absorption sponge, the inboard wall of waste ink storehouse main part is fixed with humidity sensor, humidity sensor is connected with detection probe, detection probe is inserted in the inside of ink absorption sponge;Humidity sensor is electrically connected with microprocessor, and microprocessor is electrically connected with printer driver program;When using, the waste ink of printer enters from waste ink import, waste ink flows from inlet, and first penetrates downward and fills bottom under the action of gravity.Then like water cup, liquid level gradually rises from bottom, when ink finally saturates to the height of the detection probe of humidity sensor, the saturation state of ink absorption sponge is directly detected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of printer accessories technology, specifically a printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection early warning. Background Technology

[0002] The waste ink tank is used to collect waste ink generated during the printhead cleaning process. After the waste ink is generated, it enters the waste ink tank through the waste ink pipe. The shape, size, and storage location of the waste ink tank vary from printer to printer, but it is usually equipped with a waste ink pad for absorbing ink.

[0003] During the printing process, some ink cannot be directly sprayed onto the paper, such as during printhead cleaning, which produces waste ink. If not handled promptly, this waste ink may overflow, affecting print quality or even damaging the printer.

[0004] Traditional printers lack a warning function for their waste ink tanks, making it difficult for users to know when the waste ink tank is full. When the waste ink tank is full, it may cause waste ink to overflow, contaminating the printer's internal components and leading to printing malfunctions such as printhead clogging and short circuits. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection and early warning, thereby solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection and early warning, comprising a waste ink tank body, an opening at the top of the waste ink tank body, a cover plate above the opening, a waste ink inlet on the cover plate, an ink-absorbing sponge inside the waste ink tank body, a humidity sensor fixed on the inner wall of the waste ink tank body, a detection probe connected to the humidity sensor, and the detection probe inserted inside the ink-absorbing sponge; the humidity sensor is electrically connected to a microprocessor, and the microprocessor is electrically connected to a printer driver program. When the ink-absorbing sponge is dry, the resistance value is high; as the ink absorption increases, the humidity rises, and the resistance value decreases. This is the most direct measurement method. In use, the printer's waste ink enters through the waste ink inlet, flows in from the inlet, and first penetrates downwards and fills the bottom under the action of gravity. Then, like a water cup, the liquid level (or saturation level) gradually rises from the bottom. When the ink finally saturates to the height of the detection probe of the humidity sensor, it indicates that the absorption capacity of the entire tank is almost exhausted. Then the humidity sensor will feed back the information to the microprocessor, which will then feed it back to the printer driver program. The microprocessor is located on the printer's motherboard to facilitate connection with the printer's driver.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, a slot is provided on the opening side of the waste ink tank, and a buckle that mates with the slot is fixed on the side of the cover plate. The buckle engages in the slot to secure the cover plate. This allows the cover plate to be detached and installed for easy assembly and disassembly.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, an observation window is provided on the side of the waste ink tank body. This observation window allows for a direct and general understanding of the waste ink tank's filling status without the aid of an electronic system.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, a one-way valve is provided inside the waste ink inlet. This ensures that ink can only enter and not exit, preventing leakage even during handling or tilting.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the ink-absorbing sponge has multiple layers, forming a labyrinthine channel. This slows down ink flow and prevents ink from becoming saturated at a single point and overflowing.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, the ink-absorbing sponge is made of a superabsorbent polymer material to improve ink absorption.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are: This invention uses a combination of a humidity sensor and a detection probe to directly detect the saturation state of the ink-absorbing sponge. Compared with the traditional indirect warning method that relies on a preset number of prints, it can more accurately reflect the actual capacity of the waste ink tank. When the capacity is about to run out, it will trigger an early warning to remind the user to take action, effectively preventing waste ink from overflowing and contaminating the internal parts of the printer, and extending the printer's service life. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cover plate opening structure of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship of the humidity sensor of this utility model.

[0014] In the diagram: 1. Waste ink tank body; 101. Opening; 102. Slot; 103. Observation window; 2. Cover plate; 201. Waste ink inlet; 202. Buckle; 3. Ink-absorbing sponge; 4. Humidity sensor; 401. Detection probe; 5. Microprocessor; 6. Printer driver. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0016] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "vertical", "up", "down", "horizontal", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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 utility model.

[0017] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0018] Please see Figures 1-4 This utility model provides a technical solution: a printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection and early warning, including a waste ink tank body 1. An opening 101 is provided on the top of the waste ink tank body 1, and a cover plate 2 is provided above the opening 101. A waste ink inlet 201 is provided on the cover plate 2. An ink-absorbing sponge 3 is provided inside the waste ink tank body 1. A humidity sensor 4 is fixed on the inner wall of the waste ink tank body 1, and a detection probe 401 is connected to the humidity sensor 4. The detection probe 401 is inserted inside the ink-absorbing sponge 3. The humidity sensor 4 is electrically connected to a microprocessor 5, and the microprocessor 5 is electrically connected to a printer driver program 6. When the ink-absorbing sponge 3 is dry, the resistance value is high; as the ink absorption increases, the humidity rises, and the resistance value decreases. This is the most direct measurement method. In use, the printer's waste ink enters through the waste ink inlet 201. The waste ink flows in from the inlet and, under the action of gravity, first penetrates downwards and fills the bottom. Then, like a water cup, the liquid level (or saturation level) gradually rises from the bottom. When the ink finally saturates to the height of the detection probe 401 of the humidity sensor 4, it indicates that the absorption capacity of the entire ink chamber is almost exhausted. The humidity sensor 4 then feeds this information back to the microprocessor 5, which in turn sends it to the printer driver 6. The microprocessor 5 is located on the printer's mainboard for easy connection to the printer driver 6.

[0019] Furthermore, a slot 102 is provided on the side of the opening 101 of the waste ink tank, and a buckle 202 that cooperates with the slot 102 is fixed on the side of the cover plate 2. The buckle 202 is engaged in the slot 102 to fix the cover plate 2. This enables the cover plate 2 to be detachable and installed, so as to facilitate the installation and removal of the cover plate 2.

[0020] Furthermore, an observation window 103 is provided on the side of the waste ink tank body 1. The observation window 103 allows for a direct and general understanding of the filling status of the waste ink tank without the aid of an electronic system.

[0021] Furthermore, a one-way valve is installed inside the waste ink inlet 201 to ensure that ink can only enter and not exit, preventing leakage even during handling or tilting.

[0022] Furthermore, the ink-absorbing sponge 3 is provided with multiple layers to form a labyrinthine channel. This slows down the ink flow and prevents concentrated saturation at one point, which could lead to overflow.

[0023] Furthermore, the ink-absorbing sponge 3 is made of a superabsorbent polymer material to improve ink absorption.

[0024] In summary, when this device is in use, the waste ink generated by the printer first enters the waste ink tank body 1 through the waste ink inlet 201 on the cover plate 2. The one-way valve at the inlet only allows waste ink to flow in one direction to prevent leakage when the printer is moved or tilted. Under the action of gravity, the waste ink preferentially penetrates downward and fills the bottom of the tank. Then, like water in a cup, the liquid surface (or the saturated surface of the ink-absorbing sponge 3) gradually spreads upward from the bottom. The multi-layer ink-absorbing sponge 3 (made of super absorbent polymer material) in the tank forms a labyrinth channel to slow down the flow speed of waste ink and prevent waste ink from being concentrated in a single area and quickly saturated. At the same time, the high ink absorption of the super absorbent polymer material increases the ink storage capacity. A humidity sensor 4 is fixed to the inner wall of the waste ink tank body 1, and its detection probe 401 is inserted into the ink-absorbing sponge 3. When the ink-absorbing sponge 3 is dry, its resistance value is high. As the amount of waste ink absorbed increases, the sponge's humidity rises, and the resistance value decreases accordingly. When the waste ink saturation level rises to the height of the detection probe 401, it indicates that the waste ink tank capacity is about to be exhausted. At this time, the humidity sensor 4 converts the resistance change signal into an electrical signal and transmits it to the microprocessor 5. The microprocessor 5 then feeds back the warning information to the printer driver 6 to complete the warning trigger. The slot 102 on the side of the waste ink tank opening 101 cooperates with the buckle 202 on the side of the cover plate 2 to realize the detachable installation of the cover plate 2, which is convenient for later removal of the cover plate 2 to replace the ink-absorbing sponge 3 or clean the tank body. The observation window 103 on the side of the tank body can serve as a supplement to the electronic warning. Without relying on the electronic system, the saturation of waste ink in the tank can be directly observed by the naked eye to help determine the remaining capacity of the waste ink tank.

[0025] It is worth noting that the entire device is controlled by a master control button. Since the device matched with the control button is a common device and belongs to existing mature technology, its electrical connection relationship and specific circuit structure will not be described in detail here.

[0026] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art 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 appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection pre-warning, characterized in that: The device includes a waste ink tank body (1), an opening (101) on the top of the waste ink tank body (1), a cover plate (2) on the top of the opening (101), a waste ink inlet (201) on the cover plate (2), an ink-absorbing sponge (3) inside the waste ink tank body (1), a humidity sensor (4) fixed on the inner side wall of the waste ink tank body (1), a detection probe (401) connected to the humidity sensor (4), and the detection probe (401) inserted inside the ink-absorbing sponge (3); the humidity sensor (4) is electrically connected to a microprocessor (5), and the microprocessor (5) is electrically connected to a printer driver (6).

2. The printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection and early warning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waste ink tank has a slot (102) on the side of the opening (101), and a buckle (202) that cooperates with the slot (102) is fixed on the side of the cover plate (2). The buckle (202) is locked in the slot (102) to fix the cover plate (2).

3. The printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection and early warning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waste ink tank body (1) has an observation window (103) on its side.

4. The printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection and early warning according to claim 1, characterized in that: A one-way valve is installed inside the waste ink inlet (201).

5. A printer waste ink tank with waste ink collection and early warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ink-absorbing sponge (3) has multiple layers, forming a labyrinthine channel.

6. The printer ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein: The ink-absorbing sponge (3) is made of a high-molecular water-absorbing material.

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