Ink replenishment container

Abstract

An ink replenishment container (20), which is used for replenishing an ink tank (10) of a printer with ink, wherein the ink tank (10) is provided with an ink inlet flow path portion (13). The ink replenishment container (20) comprises: a container main-body portion (21); an ink outlet forming portion (22); a valve component (23), which is arranged at the ink outlet forming portion (22) and can open or close an ink outlet (22a); and a positioning protrusion (24), which is fixedly arranged at the ink outlet forming portion (22), at least partially extends in a direction parallel to the central axis of the ink outlet (22a), and is provided with a positioning face (241) at the end thereof close to the ink outlet (22a), wherein in a state in which the ink inlet flow path portion (13) opens the valve component (23) and is inserted into the ink outlet (22a), the positioning face (241) abuts against an end portion of the ink inlet flow path portion (13), and when the positioning face (241) abuts against the end portion of the ink inlet flow path portion (13), the positioning face (241) is at least partially located on the central axis of the ink outlet (22a). The positioning face (241) at the end of the positioning protrusion (24) close to the ink outlet (22a) abuts against the end portion of the ink inlet flow path portion (13), thereby preventing the ink replenishment container (20) from being contaminated by ink remaining around the ink inlet flow path portion (13) when the ink replenishment container (20) is filled.

Description

Ink refill container

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on September 19, 2023, with application number 202322553798.X and application name “A Kind of Ink Refill Container”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of printers, and in particular to an ink refill container. Background Art

[0003] In the prior art, an ink tank of a printer is provided with a recess, and an ink supply needle is provided in the recess. When an ink bottle (an example of an ink refill container) is used to refill the ink tank with ink, the ink bottle needs to be inserted upside down into the recess, and the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink bottle. Each time the ink bottle is inserted and removed to refill ink, ink will remain in the recess around the ink supply needle. When the ink bottle is used to refill ink again, the ink bottle will be contaminated by the ink remaining around the ink supply needle.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present application, an ink refill container is provided for refilling ink into an ink tank of a printer, wherein the ink tank is provided with an ink inlet flow path portion, and the ink refill container comprises:

[0006] a container body having an ink holding chamber for holding ink and an opening communicating with the ink holding chamber;

[0007] an ink outlet forming portion, disposed at the open end of the container body, the ink outlet forming portion being provided with an ink outlet for the ink in the ink holding chamber to flow out;

[0008] a valve member, provided at the ink outlet forming portion, capable of opening or closing the ink outlet;

[0009] a positioning protrusion fixedly disposed on the ink outlet forming portion, wherein at least a portion of the positioning protrusion extends in a direction parallel to the central axis of the ink outlet, and a positioning surface is provided at one end of the positioning protrusion close to the ink outlet;

[0010] When the ink inlet flow path portion is opened and the valve component is inserted into the ink outlet, the positioning surface abuts against the end of the ink inlet flow path portion, and when the positioning surface abuts against the end of the ink inlet flow path portion, it is at least partially located on the central axis of the ink outlet.

[0011] In some embodiments, when the ink inlet flow path portion is opened and the valve member is inserted into the ink outlet, the ink inlet flow path portion is at least partially located outside the ink outlet.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ink tank has a recessed portion, and the ink inlet flow path portion protrudes from the bottom surface of the recessed portion;

[0013] When the positioning surface contacts the end of the ink inlet flow path portion, a gap is provided between the end of the ink outlet forming portion and the bottom surface of the recessed portion.

[0014] In some embodiments, a distance from the positioning surface to an end of the valve component away from the container body is greater than 1 mm and less than 10 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, a gap is formed between the positioning surface and an end of the valve component adjacent to the container body.

[0016] In some embodiments, the positioning protrusion is in a Y-shape, a cross-shape, a straight-line shape, a pointed-shape, a triangle shape, or a * shape.

[0017] In some embodiments, the ink outlet forming portion has a support column inside, the support column is at least partially located on the central axis of the ink outlet and extends along the central axis, and the positioning protrusion is fixedly provided at one end of the support column away from the container body.

[0018] In some embodiments, a fixing portion is provided at one end of the support column close to the container body, and the fixing portion extends in a direction away from the central axis to the inner wall of the ink outlet forming portion and is connected thereto.

[0019] In some embodiments, the support column, the fixing portion and the positioning protrusion are an integrally formed structure.

[0020] In some embodiments, the ink outlet forming portion is connected to the container body by threading, welding, pasting or snapping; or, the ink outlet forming portion is integrally formed with the container body.

[0021] Beneficial effects of the present application: The ink refill container of the present application is provided with a positioning protrusion. When the valve component of the ink inlet flow path portion is opened and inserted into the ink outlet, the positioning surface of the positioning protrusion at one end close to the ink outlet abuts against the end of the ink inlet flow path portion, thereby limiting the insertion position of the ink refill container and avoiding contamination of the ink refill container by ink remaining around the ink inlet flow path portion when filling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an ink tank of a printer;

[0023] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an ink refill container according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0024] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of an ink refill container according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0025] FIG4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ink outlet forming portion according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0026] FIG5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connection between the ink outlet forming portion, the ink tank, and the ink inlet flow path portion according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0027] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of an ink outlet forming portion at an angle according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0028] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of an ink outlet forming portion from another angle according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0029] FIG8 is a first structural diagram of an ink outlet forming portion provided with a positioning protrusion according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0030] FIG9 is a second structural diagram of an ink outlet forming portion provided with a positioning protrusion according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0031] FIG10 is a third structural schematic diagram of an ink outlet forming portion provided with a positioning protrusion in some embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is apparent that the embodiments described are only a portion of the embodiments of the present application, not all of them. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present application without creative effort are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0033] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "fixed," and the like should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections, electrical connections, or communication between them; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0036] In the above description, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0037] As shown in FIG1 , an inkjet printer (not shown) is provided with an ink tank 10 for containing ink, which is connected to the ink tube of the inkjet printer so that ink can be supplied from the ink tank 10 to the print head of the inkjet printer, thereby performing inkjet printing on a recording medium (e.g., paper). The ink tank 10 can be arranged outside the inkjet printer or inside the inkjet printer. The ink tank 10 can be provided in one or more configurations, and multiple ink tanks 10 can be arranged along its width. Multiple ink tanks 10 respectively contain inks of different colors. For example, multiple ink tanks 10 respectively contain black ink, yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink. In addition, there are also cases where multiple ink tanks 10 contain ink of the same color. The ink tank 10 is provided with a filling port structure. Specifically, the filling port structure includes a recess 11 formed at the top of the ink tank 10 and an ink inlet flow path portion 13 (ink supply needle) protruding outward from the bottom surface 12 of the recess 11. The ink inlet flow path portion 13 is connected to the ink chamber inside the ink tank 10. The ink tank 10 is in an upright position when in use, with the axial direction of the ink tank 10 along the plumb bob direction; when the ink in the ink tank 10 is exhausted or there is less ink, the ink in the ink replenishing container 20 can be injected into the ink tank 10. In the connected state, the ink replenishing container 20 is inserted into the ink tank 10 in an inverted position, and the axial direction of the ink replenishing container 20 overlaps or is parallel to the axial direction of the ink tank 10.

[0038] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, this embodiment provides an ink refill container 20 for refilling ink into the ink tank 10. The ink refill container 20 includes an ink receiving portion 21, an ink outlet forming portion 22, and a valve member 23. The ink refill container 20 can be an ink bottle, an ink bag, an ink tank, etc., and this embodiment uses an ink bottle as an example of the ink refill container 20.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the ink holding portion 21 has an ink chamber for holding ink. Taking an ink bottle as an example, the ink holding portion 21 is a bottle body. The bottle body is generally cylindrical, but may also be a quadrangular prism or other shape. One end of the bottle body has an opening 211, which connects the ink chamber with the outside world. Ink is injected into the ink chamber through the opening 211. The bottle body can be made of a flexible material that can be squeezed and deformed.

[0040] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the ink outlet forming portion 22 is disposed at the opening 211 end of the ink container 21 (bottle body) and communicates with the ink container 21. Ink in the ink container 21 flows out through the ink outlet forming portion 22. The ink outlet forming portion 22 can be connected to the ink container 21 via threads. Specifically, the ink outlet forming portion 22 includes a connecting portion 221 and an ink flow path portion 222. The end of the ink outlet forming portion 22 closer to the ink container 21 is the connecting portion 221, and the end farther from the ink container 21 is the ink flow path portion 222. The interiors of the connecting portion 221 and the ink flow path portion 222 are both interconnected cavities. The inner wall of the connecting portion 221 is provided with threads, and the outer wall of the opening 211 end of the ink container 21 is also provided with threads, and the two are connected by threads. Optionally, the ink outlet forming portion 22 and the ink container 21 can also be connected by snap-fit ​​connection, welding, gluing, etc., or can be an integrally molded structure. The ink flow path portion 222 is tubular, the interior of the ink flow path portion 222 is an ink channel, and an ink outlet 22 a is provided at one end of the ink flow path portion 222 away from the ink containing portion 21 .

[0041] In some other embodiments, the ink outlet forming portion 22 may not be provided with the connecting portion 221 , and the ink flow path portion 222 may be directly connected to the ink containing portion 21 .

[0042] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the valve member 23 is disposed within the ink flow path portion 222 of the ink outlet forming portion 22 and is used to open or close the ink outlet 22a. Specifically, the valve member 23 is disposed adjacent to the ink outlet 22a. The valve member 23 is elastic and can seal the ink outlet 22a by virtue of its own elasticity. The valve member 23 can be cylindrical, with an outer diameter equal to or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the ink flow path portion 222. This allows the valve member 23 to fit tightly against the inner wall of the ink flow path portion 222 when installed within the ink flow path portion 222, thereby sealing the ink outlet 22a. A valve plate 231 is disposed within the valve member 23. The valve plate 231 can be integrally formed with the valve member 23 and has a self-closing notch. The self-closing notch can be in the shape of a straight line, a cross, or an "*." In the absence of external force, the self-closing notch remains closed due to its own elasticity, allowing the valve member 23 to close and seal the ink outlet 22a, preventing the ink in the ink refill container 20 from flowing out.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, in order to prevent the valve component 23 from moving when subjected to force, a clamping portion 2221 is provided on the inner wall of the ink flow path portion 222 to cooperate with the valve component 23 for installation, and a joint portion 232 that cooperates with the clamping portion 2221 is provided on the circumferential outer wall of the valve component 23. Preferably, the clamping portion 2221 is a flange formed on the inner wall of the ink flow path portion 222, and the flange extends along the circumference of the ink flow path portion 222. The joint portion 232 is an annular groove provided along the circumference of the valve component 23. During installation, force is applied to deform the valve component 23, so that the flange is stuck in the annular groove, thereby limiting the axial movement of the valve component 23 and preventing it from falling out / falling into the ink flow path portion 222 when subjected to force.

[0044] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the ink outlet forming portion 22 is further provided with a positioning protrusion 24, which is fixedly arranged in the ink outlet forming portion 22. The positioning protrusion 24 extends at least partially in a direction parallel to the central axis of the ink outlet 22a, and a positioning surface 241 is provided at one end of the positioning protrusion 24 close to the ink outlet 22a; the distance from the positioning surface 241 to the end of the valve component 23 away from the container body is greater than 1 mm and less than 10 mm. In this embodiment, the axial length of the valve component 23 is 5 mm; there is a gap between the positioning surface 241 and the end of the valve component 23 close to the container body.

[0045] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, when the ink inlet flow path portion 13 (ink supply needle) opens the valve component 23 and is inserted into the ink outlet 22a, the positioning surface 241 abuts against the end of the ink inlet flow path portion 13. When the positioning surface 241 abuts against the end of the ink inlet flow path portion 13, it is at least partially located on the central axis of the ink outlet 22a. When the ink inlet flow path portion 13 passes through the valve component 23 and is inserted into the ink outlet 22a, it is inserted along the central axis of the ink outlet 22a. The positioning surface 241 is at least partially located on the central axis of the ink outlet 22a, which can ensure that it can The ink inlet flow path portion 13 abuts, thereby limiting the position for inserting the ink replenishing container 20, and when the ink inlet flow path portion 13 opens the valve component 23 and is inserted into the ink outlet 22a, the ink inlet flow path portion 13 is at least partially located outside the ink outlet 22a, so that when the positioning surface 241 abuts against the end of the ink inlet flow path portion 13, there is a gap between the end of the ink outlet forming portion 22 and the bottom surface 12 of the recess 11, that is, the end of the ink outlet forming portion 22 will not contact the bottom surface 12 of the recess 11, nor will it be contaminated by the ink remaining in the recess 11.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, the ink outlet forming portion 22 has a support column 25 inside for supporting and fixing the positioning protrusion 24. The support column 25 is at least partially located on the central axis of the ink outlet 22a and extends along the central axis. The positioning protrusion 24 is fixedly arranged at the end of the support column 25 away from the container body. The end of the support column 25 close to the container body is provided with a fixing portion 26. The fixing portion 26 extends away from the central axis to the inner wall of the ink outlet forming portion 22 and is connected thereto. The positioning protrusion 24 is fixedly arranged at the central axis position within the ink outlet forming portion 22 by the support column 25. Preferably, the support column 25, the fixing portion 26, and the positioning protrusion 24 are an integrally formed structure. More preferably, the support column 25, the fixing portion 26, the positioning protrusion 24, and the ink outlet forming portion 22 are all integrally formed structures.

[0047] As shown in Figures 6, 8 to 10, the shape of the positioning protrusion 24 can be Y-shaped, cross-shaped, straight-line, pointed, triangular or *-shaped, or other regular or irregular geometric shapes or combined shapes. This embodiment does not limit the shape of the positioning protrusion 24, as long as it can abut against the ink inlet flow path portion 13.

[0048] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, when using the ink replenishing container 20 to replenish ink into the ink tank 10, the ink replenishing container 20 is inverted, and then the ink replenishing container 20 is aligned with the filling port structure and inserted. The ink inlet flow path portion 13 contacts and squeezes the valve plate 231 of the valve component 23, causing the self-closing incision to elastically deform, and the ink inlet flow path portion 13 passes through the valve plate 231 and is inserted into the ink flow path portion 222. When the end of the ink inlet flow path portion 13 abuts the positioning surface 241 of the end of the positioning protrusion 24, the movement of the ink replenishing container 20 relative to the ink tank 10 is restricted and cannot be further inserted into the recess 11 of the ink tank 10. At this time, at least a portion of the ink inlet flow path portion 13 is located outside the ink outlet 22a, and there is a certain distance between the end of the ink outlet forming portion 22 close to the ink outlet 22a and the bottom surface 12 of the recess 11, thereby avoiding contamination of the ink replenishing container 20 by ink remaining around the ink inlet flow path portion 13 or at the bottom of the recess 11 when filling. After the ink inlet flow path portion 13 is inserted into the ink outlet forming portion 22, the ink holding chamber of the ink replenishing container 20 and the ink chamber within the ink tank 10 are connected. Ink in the ink holding chamber 21 is replenished into the ink tank 10 via the ink inlet flow path portion 13. After replenishment is completed, the ink replenishing container 20 is removed from the ink tank 10. After the ink inlet flow path portion 13 is removed, the valve member 23, by its own elastic action, seals and closes the ink outlet 22a.

[0049] Furthermore, the ink refill container 20 may also include a cover component (not shown), which covers the ink outlet forming portion 22 to shield the ink flow path portion 222 and play a protective role. The cover component can be loaded and unloaded relative to the ink outlet forming portion 22, and the cover component and the ink outlet forming portion 22 can be connected by screw thread or by snap-fit ​​connection.

[0050] The above are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of the present application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. An ink refill container for refilling ink into an ink tank of a printer, wherein the ink tank is provided with an ink inlet flow path, characterized in that: The ink replenishing container comprises: A container body having an ink containing chamber for containing ink and an opening communicating with the ink containing chamber; An ink outlet forming portion is disposed at the open end of the container body, and the ink outlet forming portion is provided with an ink outlet for the ink in the ink containing chamber to flow out; a valve member, disposed at the ink outlet forming portion, capable of opening or closing the ink outlet; A positioning protrusion is fixedly arranged on the ink outlet forming portion, wherein at least a portion of the positioning protrusion extends in a direction parallel to the central axis of the ink outlet, and a positioning surface is provided at one end of the positioning protrusion close to the ink outlet; When the ink inlet flow path portion is opened and the valve component is inserted into the ink outlet, the positioning surface abuts against the end of the ink inlet flow path portion, and when the positioning surface abuts against the end of the ink inlet flow path portion, it is at least partially located on the central axis of the ink outlet.

2. The ink refill container according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a state where the ink inlet flow path portion is opened and the valve member is inserted into the ink outlet, the ink inlet flow path portion is at least partially located outside the ink outlet.

3. The ink refill container according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ink tank has a concave portion, and the ink inlet flow path portion is arranged to protrude from the bottom surface of the concave portion; When the positioning surface contacts the end of the ink inlet flow path portion, a gap is provided between the end of the ink outlet forming portion and the bottom surface of the recessed portion.

4. The ink refill container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance from the positioning surface to the end of the valve component away from the container body is greater than 1 mm and less than 10 mm.

5. The ink refill container according to claim 4, characterized in that: There is a gap between the positioning surface and an end of the valve member close to the container body.

6. The ink refill container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The positioning protrusion has a shape of a Y, a cross, a straight line, a pointed end, a triangle or an *.

7. The ink refill container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The ink outlet forming portion has a support column inside, the support column is at least partially located on the central axis of the ink outlet and extends along the central axis, and the positioning protrusion is fixedly arranged on one end of the support column away from the container body.

8. The ink refill container according to claim 7, characterized in that: A fixing portion is provided at one end of the support column close to the container body, and the fixing portion extends in a direction away from the central axis to the inner wall of the ink outlet forming portion and is connected thereto.

9. The ink refill container according to claim 8, characterized in that: The support column, the fixing portion and the positioning protrusion are an integrally formed structure.

10. The ink refill container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 8 to 9, characterized in that: The ink outlet forming portion is connected to the container body by threading, welding, pasting or snapping; or, the ink outlet forming portion is integrally formed with the container body.

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