Ink cartridge

Abstract

An ink cartridge (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 700) for supplying ink to an inkjet printing apparatus. The ink cartridge (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 700) is mounted into an ink-cartridge-mounting portion (10) of the inkjet printing apparatus in a forward direction, and is removed from the inkjet printing apparatus in a backward direction. The ink cartridge (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 700) comprises: a cartridge body (11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 71) for accommodating ink; and a locking mechanism (12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 72), which has with an engagement portion (152, 252, 352, 452, 552, 78) movably arranged relative to the cartridge body (11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 71), wherein the engagement portion (152, 252, 352, 452, 552, 78) is configured to move between an unlocked position and a locked position; in the unlocked position, the engagement portion (152, 252, 352, 452, 552, 78) does not abut against a front-facing surface of the inkjet printing apparatus; and in the locked position, the engagement portion (152, 252, 352, 452, 552, 78) abuts against the front-facing surface of the inkjet printing apparatus. The number of the parts of the ink cartridge (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 700) is reduced, which is beneficial to improving the assembly efficiency of the ink cartridge (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 700).

Description

ink cartridge Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of inkjet printing, specifically to an ink cartridge for supplying ink to an inkjet printing device. Background Technology

[0002] Inkjet printers are devices that use ink cartridges to supply ink and eject it onto printing media such as paper for recording. The ink cartridges need to be installed into the cartridge mounting section of the inkjet printer. The ink outlet of the cartridge is fluidly connected to the printhead inside the inkjet printer. Generally, the cartridge needs to be locked in the cartridge mounting section to ensure a stable supply of ink to the printhead.

[0003] To ensure the ink cartridge is securely fixed in the cartridge mounting section, a locking mechanism is required within the cartridge. When the cartridge is installed in the predetermined position, the locking mechanism locks it in place. When the cartridge needs to be removed, the locking mechanism is operated to release the lock. Therefore, the locking mechanism needs to include not only locking components but also unlocking components. During the cartridge assembly process, these components are prone to falling off or being lost, causing cartridge assembly failure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the main objective of this invention is to provide an ink cartridge that overcomes the aforementioned technical issues. The specific solution is as follows:

[0005] An ink cartridge for supplying ink to an inkjet printer is installed into the ink cartridge mounting section of the inkjet printer in a forward direction and removed from the inkjet printer in a rearward direction. The ink cartridge includes: a housing for containing ink; and a locking mechanism having an engagement portion movably disposed relative to the housing, the engagement portion being configured to move between an unlocked position and a locked position. In the unlocked position, the engagement portion does not abut against a forward-facing surface of the inkjet printer, and in the locked position, the engagement portion abuts against a forward-facing surface of the inkjet printer.

[0006] In some embodiments, the cartridge mounting portion is provided with a movable latch structure, and in the locked position, the engagement portion abuts against the front surface of the latch structure.

[0007] In some embodiments, the cartridge mounting portion is further provided with a latching structure, a connecting member, and a guide member; the latching structure is connected to the connecting member and can rotate with the rotation of the connecting member; a spacer is also formed between the guide member and the connecting member, the guide member having a locking surface facing forward; the engaging portion also has an action surface, when the engaging portion is in the locked position, the engaging portion enters the spacer, and the action surface abuts against the locking surface.

[0008] In some embodiments, the joint is rotatably disposed relative to the housing.

[0009] In some embodiments, the joint moves relative to the housing in a vertical direction. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1A is a structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge mounting section of an existing inkjet printer.

[0011] Figures 1B and 1C are perspective views of the ink cartridge mounting section.

[0012] Figure 2A is a perspective view of the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge involved in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the locking mechanism in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the control lever in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the ratchet structure in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the pawl structure in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge involved in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ink cartridge after removing the cover according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ink cartridge installed in the ink cartridge mounting part according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ink cartridge when it is removed from the ink cartridge mounting part according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge involved in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 12 is a structural schematic diagram of the locking mechanism in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the control lever in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the ratchet structure in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the pawl structure in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge involved in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ink cartridge in the unlocked state according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ink cartridge in the locked state according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge involved in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 20 is a structural schematic diagram of the locking mechanism in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of the control lever in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 22 is a structural schematic diagram of the locking component in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge involved in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ink cartridge in the unlocked state according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 25 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ink cartridge in the locked state according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 26 is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge involved in Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 27 is a structural schematic diagram of the locking mechanism in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 28 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ink cartridge after removing the cover and locking mechanism according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 29 is a schematic diagram of the control lever in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 30 is a structural schematic diagram of the locking component in the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 31 is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge (cover not shown) in the locked state according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 32 is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge (cover not shown) in the unlocked state according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 33 is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge (cover not shown) in the locked state according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 34 is a structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge (cover not shown) in the unlocked state according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 35 is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the ink cartridge (cover not shown) in the locked state according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 36 is a first structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge (cover not shown) in the locked state according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 37 is a first structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge (cover not shown) in the unlocked state according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 38 is a second structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge in the locked state according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 39 is a second structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge in the unlocked state according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 40 is a schematic diagram of the locking mechanism in the ink cartridge in the locked state according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 41 is a schematic diagram of the locking mechanism in the ink cartridge in the unlocked state according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 42 is an exploded view of the locking mechanism after it is separated from the box body according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 43 is a perspective view of the ratchet according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 44 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge with the first housing hidden according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 45A is a state diagram of the locking mechanism and guide before they are combined according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 45B is a state diagram of the locking mechanism and guide member after they are combined according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

[0058] Figures 45C-45D are schematic diagrams showing the state changes of the locking mechanism during the removal of the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 46 is a cross-sectional view of another type of ratchet and pawl in the locking mechanism according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention, when the ratchet and pawl are engaged, taken along a plane passing through the ink outlet and parallel to the front-back direction.

[0060] Figure 47 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 48 is an exploded view of the locking mechanism according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 49 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 50 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention.

[0064] Figure 51 is an exploded view of the locking mechanism according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 52A is a state diagram of the locking mechanism and guide before they are combined according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention.

[0066] Figure 52B is a state diagram of the locking mechanism and guide member that are about to be fully coupled according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention.

[0067] Figure 52C is a state diagram of the locking mechanism and guide member after they are combined according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention.

[0068] Figure 53 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention.

[0069] Figure 54 is an exploded view of the locking mechanism after it is separated from the box body according to Embodiment 11 of the present invention.

[0070] Figure 55 is an exploded view of the locking mechanism after it is separated from the box body according to Embodiment 12 of the present invention.

[0071] Figure 56 is a plan view of the functional component involved in Embodiment 12 of the present invention viewed from the left-right direction.

[0072] Figures 57A-57D are schematic diagrams of the locking process of the locking mechanism involved in Embodiment 12 of the present invention.

[0073] Figures 57E and 57F are schematic diagrams of the unlocking process of the locking mechanism involved in Embodiment 12 of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 58 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge involved in Embodiment 13 of the present invention.

[0075] Figure 59 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge after the first housing is hidden, according to Embodiment 13 of the present invention.

[0076] Figures 60A and 60B are exploded views of the locking mechanism of the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 13 of the present invention.

[0077] Figure 61A is a schematic diagram of the second housing of the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 13 of the present invention.

[0078] Figure 61B is a schematic diagram of the first housing of the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 13 of the present invention.

[0079] Figure 62A is a side view of the ink cartridge according to Embodiment 13 of the present invention before locking after it is installed in the ink cartridge mounting part.

[0080] Figure 62B is a sectional view of Figure 62A after being cut along a plane perpendicular to the left and right directions.

[0081] Figure 63A is a side view of the ink cartridge after it has been installed into the ink cartridge mounting part and locked, according to Embodiment 13 of the present invention.

[0082] Figure 63B is a sectional view of Figure 63A after being cut along a plane perpendicular to the left and right directions.

[0083] Figure 64 is an exploded view of the ink cartridge after the first housing, the second housing, and the locking mechanism are separated, according to Embodiment 14 of the present invention.

[0084] Figure 65 is an exploded view of the locking mechanism according to Embodiment 14 of the present invention.

[0085] Figure 66 is a plan view of the locking mechanism involved in Embodiment 14 of the present invention, viewed from left to right along the left-right direction.

[0086] Figure 67 is a perspective view of the second housing according to Embodiment 14 of the present invention.

[0087] Figure 68 is a perspective view of the first housing according to Embodiment 14 of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention

[0088] Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, other possible implementations that can be discerned by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments described herein are all within the scope of protection of this application.

[0089] [Structure of the ink cartridge mounting section]

[0090] As shown in Figures 1A, 1B and 1C, the inkjet printing equipment (hereinafter referred to as "the equipment") is provided with multiple ink cartridge mounting sections 10. Each ink cartridge mounting section 10 is used to accommodate one ink cartridge 100, and the ink cartridge 100 installed in each ink cartridge mounting section 10 contains ink of different colors. The structure of each ink cartridge mounting section 10 is basically the same. The following description takes one of the ink cartridge mounting sections 10 as an example.

[0091] Each ink cartridge mounting section 10 is provided with an ink suction section 1, a connecting member 3, and a latching structure 4 (or, the connecting member 3 and the latching structure 4 can both be regarded as a latching component). The ink suction section 1 is provided with an ink suction needle 2 for connecting to the ink outlet 118 of the ink cartridge 100 (described below). The latching structure 4 is connected to the connecting member 3 and can rotate with the rotation of the connecting member 3. The latching structure 4 has a rearward-facing latching rear surface 41. Therefore, the latching component can be described as being able to move between a first position and a second position different from the first position. In some embodiments, when the latching component is in the first position, the ink cartridge 100 can be locked, and when the latching component is in the second position, the ink cartridge 100 can be unlocked.

[0092] Furthermore, the ink cartridge mounting part 10 is also provided with a stylus seat 10a, a contact member 10c and a guide member 10d. In the vertical direction, the stylus seat 10a, the ink-absorbing needle 2 and the contact member 10c are arranged from top to bottom. In the front-back direction, the contact member 10c, the connecting member 3 and the guide member 10d are arranged from front to back. A gap 10e is also formed between the guide member 10d and the connecting member 3. The guide member 10d has an upward-facing guide surface 10d1, a forward-facing locking surface 10d2, a rearward-facing blocking surface 10d4, and a guide plate 10d3 located to the left and / or right of the guide surface 10d1. The guide plate 10d3 is located above the guide surface 10d1 in the vertical direction. The guide plate 10d3 has an upward-facing upper guide surface 10d31 and an inner guide surface 10d32 facing the space where the guide surface 10d1 is located. During the installation and removal of the ink cartridge 100, the upper guide surface 10d31 supports the ink cartridge 100, and the inner guide surface 10d32 abuts against the ink cartridge 100 in the left and right directions to limit the displacement of the ink cartridge 100 in the left and right directions. Through the combined action of the upper guide surface 10d31 and the inner guide surface 10d32, the ink cartridge 100 can move along a predetermined path.

[0093] During the installation and removal of the ink cartridge 100, the abutting member 10c is used to cooperate with the extension groove 11d1 (as shown in Figure 44) to prevent the ink cartridge 100 from rotating during the installation or removal process; wherein, the abutting member 10c can be configured as a T-shaped guide rail, a plate-shaped guide rail, or a column-shaped guide rail.

[0094] The stylus holder 10a has styluses for forming a communication connection with the ink cartridge 10. The styluses extend along the mounting direction or front-back direction of the ink cartridge 100. Preferably, there are multiple styluses, and the multiple styluses are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. More preferably, the styluses are configured to be elastically movable in the horizontal direction. In this way, during the installation of the ink cartridge 100, the styluses abut against the electrical contact portion 101b2 and move elastically. Finally, the styluses and the electrical contact portion 101b2 can maintain good contact.

[0095] In some embodiments, the ink cartridge mounting part 10 further includes an air pumping mechanism 10b, which is located between the stylus seat 10a and the ink suction needle 2 in the vertical direction. The air pumping mechanism 10b is used to pump air into the ink cartridge 100 so that the ink cartridge 100 can perform detection tasks such as installation detection and ink volume detection.

[0096] Furthermore, the ink cartridge mounting section 10 is also provided with an elastic element (device-side elastic element) that can elastically deform in the front-back direction, which is used to apply a rearward pushing force to the ink cartridge 100 so that the ink cartridge 100 can be smoothly removed.

[0097] Example 1

[0098] [Overall structure of the ink cartridge]

[0099] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the ink cartridge 100 includes a cartridge body 11 and an ink outlet 118. An ink receiving portion 119 for containing ink is formed inside the cartridge body 11 (as shown in Figure 8). The ink contained in the ink receiving portion 119 is supplied to the ink needle 2 through the ink outlet 118. The cartridge body 11 is generally rectangular and has a front surface 11a and a rear surface 11b, an upper surface 11c and a lower surface 11d arranged opposite to each other. The ink receiving portion 119 is located between the front surface 11a, the rear surface 11b, the upper surface 11c and the lower surface 11d. The ink outlet 118 is exposed from the front surface 11a, and the ink cartridge 100 is installed along the exposure direction of the ink outlet 118.

[0100] Accordingly, the orientation of the ink cartridge 100 is defined as follows: the direction in which the ink cartridge 100 is installed on the device is called the front, the direction in which the ink cartridge 100 is removed from the device is called the rear, and when viewed from the rear to the front, the left side of the line of sight is the left side of the ink cartridge 100, the right side of the line of sight is the right side of the ink cartridge 100, the upper side of the line of sight is the upper side of the ink cartridge 100, and the lower side of the line of sight is the lower side of the ink cartridge 100. The ink cartridge mounting part 10 also has the same orientation as the ink cartridge 100.

[0101] In some embodiments, the ink cartridge 100 further includes a chip assembly 101, which includes a chip socket 101a and a chip 101b. The chip 101b includes a substrate 101b1 and an electrical contact portion 101b2. The electrical contact portion 101b2 extends in the front-rear direction and is used to form an electrical contact / electrical connection with a stylus, thereby enabling the ink cartridge 100 to establish a communication connection with the device. When multiple electrical contacts 101b2 are provided, the multiple electrical contacts 101b2 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. It is not necessary for the electrical contacts 101b2 to be disposed on the substrate 101b1, as long as the electrical contacts 101b2 can form an electrical connection with the stylus. A chip receiving space 11g is formed between the front surface 11a and the upper surface 11c. In the chip assembly 101, at least the electrical contact portion 101b2 is received by the receiving space 11g.

[0102] In some embodiments, the electrical contact portion 101b2 is disposed facing to the left.

[0103] In some embodiments, the electrical contact 101b2 is disposed facing the right. In this case, the ink cartridge 100 also includes a partition disposed on the right side of the electrical contact 101b2. The electrical contact 101b2 and the partition are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The possible rotation of the ink cartridge 100 can be suppressed by the abutment between the partition and the stylus seat 10a.

[0104] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the electrical contact portion 101b2 is located in front of the front surface 11a in the front-rear direction.

[0105] In some embodiments, the chip socket 101a and the housing 11 can be detachably connected, and the connection method can be snap-fit, plug-in, adhesive, magnetic connection, etc. For example, along the vertical direction, a portion of the chip socket 101a is located on the upper surface 11c.

[0106] In some implementations, chip 101b may be newly manufactured or a recycled old chip.

[0107] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the chip 101b may also be made of a flexible circuit board, for example, at least a portion of the substrate 101b1 is a flexible circuit board.

[0108] In some embodiments, the ink cartridge 100 further includes an air inlet 116 exposed through the front surface 11a. When the ink cartridge 100 is installed in a predetermined position on the device, the air inlet 116 cooperates with the air pumping mechanism 10b, which can pump air into the ink cartridge 100 through the air inlet 116, thereby enabling the ink cartridge 100 to complete the aforementioned testing work. In some embodiments, the ink cartridge 100 further includes an air pumping channel communicating with the air inlet 116. At least a portion of the air pumping channel extends in the front-rear direction and coincides with the air pumping mechanism 10b.

[0109] In some embodiments, the ink container 119 includes an ink storage cavity and a deformable cavity. The ink storage cavity is used to store ink, and the deformable cavity is disposed adjacent to the ink storage cavity and is also connected to the air inlet 116. Therefore, at least a portion of the deformable cavity can be regarded as the inner wall of the ink storage cavity. When the ink cartridge 100 reaches the predetermined position, the air pumping mechanism 10b pumps air into the deformable cavity through the air inlet 116. The volume of the deformable cavity increases, and correspondingly, the volume of the ink storage cavity decreases. The pressure inside the ink storage cavity increases, thereby causing the ink in the ink storage cavity to be discharged towards the ink suction section 1 through the ink outlet 118.

[0110] In some embodiments, the cartridge 100 also includes an extension groove 11d1 (as shown in FIG. 44) that can mate with the abutment 10c. At least a portion of the locking mechanism 12 described later is located in the extension groove 11d1. In the front-rear direction, the extension groove 11d1 extends rearward from the front surface 11a, and thus the extension groove 11d1 is also exposed forward. In the vertical direction, the extension groove 11d1 may or may not be exposed downward. When the extension groove 11d1 is exposed downward, the extension groove 11d1 is preferably formed by an upward recess from the lower surface 11d.

[0111] In some implementations, the extension slot 11d1 may also be omitted.

[0112] As shown in Figures 3-10, the locking mechanism 12 further includes a control lever 13, a spring 14, a ratchet 15, and a pawl 16. In this embodiment, the control lever 13 extends horizontally, with at least part of its end extending outside the housing 11 and forming a pressing part 131 for operation. Preferably, the control lever 13 extends rearward outside the housing 11. Furthermore, the control lever 13 also includes an abutment part 132, which cooperates with a first limiting part 113 provided in the housing 11 to limit the movement space of the control lever 13, allowing the control lever 13 to move horizontally within a predetermined range. A second limiting part 133 is also provided on the control lever 13. One end of the spring 14 abuts against the second limiting part 133, and the other end of the spring 14 abuts against the spring abutment part 11i of the housing 11, thereby applying a rearward biasing force to the control lever 13 so that the abutment part 132 abuts against the first limiting part 113 of the housing 11, and the control lever 13 is in the initial position. A rack 134 that can mesh with the ratchet 15 is provided at the front end of the control lever 13. The rack 134 is preferably configured to be elastically deformable. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the control lever 13 has a hollow structure at the front end where the rack 134 is provided as a clearance space when the rack 134 undergoes elastic deformation, which is beneficial for the rack 134 to undergo elastic deformation.

[0113] The ratchet 15 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 114 of the housing 11. The ratchet 15 includes a ratchet portion 151 and a connecting portion 152. The connecting portion 152 is fixedly connected to one side of the ratchet portion 151 and protrudes outward along the radial direction of the ratchet 15. For example, the connecting portion 152 is located on the left or right side of the ratchet portion 151. Preferably, the connecting portion 152 is plate-shaped. When the ratchet 15 rotates, the engagement portion 152 can move between a horizontal position (or a position not abutting against the latch structure 4) and a vertical position (or a position that can abut against the latch structure 4). When the engagement portion 152 is in the horizontal position (or a position not abutting against the latch structure 4), it cannot abut against the latch structure 4 of the inkjet printer, thus preventing the ink cartridge 100 from being secured. In other words, the engagement portion 152 is in the unlocked position, and the ink cartridge 100 is not secured in the device. When the engagement portion 152 is in the vertical position (or a position that can abut against the latch structure 4), the engagement portion 152 can abut against the latch structure 4 of the inkjet printer, restricting the movement of the ink cartridge 100 in the opposite direction to the installation direction. In other words, the engagement portion 152 is in the locked position, and the ink cartridge 100 is secured in the device. The pawl 16 includes a free end 161 and a fixed end 162. The free end 161 abuts against the teeth of the ratchet 15, and the fixed end 162 is connected to the fixed part 115 of the housing 11 so that the pawl 16 is rotatably mounted on the housing 11. The fixed part 115 may have a shaft or hole that mates with the hole or shaft on the fixed end 162.

[0114] When the ink cartridge 100 is installed into the inkjet printer, the control lever 13 is in the initial position. At this time, the engagement part 152 is in a horizontal position (or a position not abutting against the latch structure 4) / unlocked position, and the installation of the ink cartridge 100 into the ink cartridge mounting part 10 along the installation direction is unrestricted. Pressing the pressing part 131 of the control lever 13 moves the control lever 13 forward, causing the forward-moving rack 134 to drive the ratchet 15 to rotate in direction A. The movement of the ink cartridge 100 along the installation direction is basically... When in position, the engagement portion 152 is rotated to a vertical position (or a position that can abut against the latch structure 4) / locked position and abuts against the front side of the latch structure 4, stopping the rotation of the ratchet 15. Under the biasing force of the spring 14, the control lever 13 moves backward, and the rack 134 undergoes elastic deformation and slides along the teeth of the ratchet 15. At this time, the ratchet 15 does not rotate, and the abutting portion 132 of the control lever 13 abuts against the first limiting portion 113 on the cartridge body 11 and returns to the initial position. Because the free end 161 of the pawl 16 abuts against the teeth of the ratchet 15, the ratchet 15 can be restricted from rotating in the opposite direction to direction A. Therefore, the cartridge 100 cannot be removed and is locked in the cartridge mounting portion 10, as shown in Figure 9.

[0115] When it is necessary to remove the ink cartridge 100, first push the ink cartridge 100 forward along the installation direction to disengage the engaging part 152 from the front side of the latching structure 4. At the same time, push the pressing part 131 forward, and the control lever 13 will move forward (towards the ratchet 15) against the biasing force of the spring 14. Since the ink cartridge 100 moves forward relative to the latching structure 4, the rack 134 can engage with the teeth of the ratchet 15 to drive the ratchet 15 to rotate in direction A. The engaging part 152 rotates to the horizontal unlocked position (i.e., the engaging part 152 does not abut against the latching structure 4). At this time, the ink cartridge 100 can be removed in the opposite direction to the installation direction, as shown in Figure 10. At this time, under the biasing force of the spring 14, the control lever 13 moves backward, the rack 134 undergoes elastic deformation and slides along the teeth of the ratchet 15, and the abutting part 132 of the control lever 13 abuts against the limiting part 113 on the cartridge body 11 and returns to the initial position.

[0116] Example 2

[0117] As shown in Figures 11 to 16, the main difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the control lever 23 is located on the front side of the ink cartridge 200. During the installation / removal of the ink cartridge 200, the control lever 23 abuts against the ink absorption part 1. The following is a detailed description of this embodiment.

[0118] The ink cartridge 200 includes a generally rectangular box body 21 and a locking mechanism 22. The box body 21 has an ink reservoir for holding ink, and an ink outlet 218 for supplying ink from the ink reservoir to the inkjet printer is located at the lower front end of the box body 21. The locking mechanism 22 is located at the lower part of the box body 21 and engages with the latch structure 4 of the inkjet printer to lock and unlock the ink cartridge 200.

[0119] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 22 includes a control lever 23, a spring 24, a ratchet 25, and a pawl 26. In this embodiment, the control lever 23 extends horizontally, with its end at least partially extending outside the housing 21 to form a pressing portion 231. Preferably, the control lever 23 extends forward outside the housing 21. Furthermore, the control lever 23 also includes a second limiting portion 232 that abuts against the spring 24. The rear end of the control lever 23 also has a downwardly bent portion to form an abutment portion 233. The abutment portion 233 is used to cooperate with the first limiting portion 212 provided in the housing 21 to limit the movement space of the control lever 23, so that the control lever 23 can move horizontally within a predetermined range. One end of the spring 24 abuts against the second limiting part 232, and the other end of the spring 24 abuts against the spring abutting part 211 of the housing 21, thereby applying a forward biasing force to the control lever 23 so that the abutting part 233 abuts against the limiting part 212 of the housing 21. At this time, the control lever 23 is in the initial position, and the rack 234 that can mesh with the ratchet 25 is provided on the downwardly bent part at the rear end of the control lever 23. The rack 234 is preferably configured to be elastically deformable.

[0120] The ratchet 25 is rotatably mounted on the housing 21, wherein the engagement portion 252 is fixedly connected to one side of the ratchet portion 251 and protrudes outward along the radial direction of the ratchet 25. For example, the engagement portion 252 is located on the left or right side of the ratchet portion 251. Preferably, the engagement portion 252 is plate-shaped. When the ratchet 25 rotates, the engagement portion 252 can move between a horizontal position (or a position not abutting against the latch structure 4) and a vertical position (or a position that can abut against the latch structure 4). When the engagement portion 252 is in the horizontal position (or a position not abutting against the latch structure 4), the engagement portion 252 cannot abut against the latch structure 4 of the inkjet printer, thus preventing the ink cartridge 200 from being fixed, i.e., the engagement portion 252 is in the unlocked position at this time. When the engagement portion 252 is in the vertical position (or a position that can abut against the latch structure 4), its lower end can abut against the latch structure 4 of the inkjet printer, thus restricting the movement of the ink cartridge 200 in the direction opposite to the installation direction, i.e., the engagement portion 252 is in the locked position at this time. The pawl 26 includes a free end 261 and a fixed end 262. The free end 261 abuts against the teeth of the ratchet 25. The fixed end 262 allows the pawl 26 to be rotatably mounted on the housing 21. The housing 21 may have a shaft or hole that mates with the hole or shaft on the fixed end 262.

[0121] When the ink cartridge 200 is installed into the inkjet printer, the control lever 23 is in the initial position, and the engagement part 252 is in the horizontal position (or the position that does not abut against the latch structure 4) / unlocked position. The installation of the ink cartridge 200 into the ink cartridge mounting part 10 along the installation direction is unrestricted. The pressing part 231 abuts against the inner wall of the ink cartridge mounting part 10 of the inkjet printer, causing the control lever 23 to move backward relative to the cartridge body 21. The backward-moving rack 234 drives the ratchet 25 to rotate in direction A. When the movement of the ink cartridge 200 along the installation direction is basically in place, the engagement part 252 is rotated to the vertical position (or the position that can abut against the latch structure 4) / locked position and abuts against the front side of the latch structure 4. The rotation of the ratchet 25 stops. Because the free end 261 of the pawl 26 abuts against the teeth of the ratchet 25, the ratchet 25 is restricted from rotating in the opposite direction to direction A. Therefore, the ink cartridge 200 cannot be removed and is locked in the ink cartridge mounting part 10. At this time, the state of the locking mechanism 22 is shown in Figure 17. At this time, under the biasing force of the spring 24, the control lever 23 moves forward, and the rack 234 undergoes elastic deformation and slides along the teeth of the ratchet 25. At this time, the ratchet 25 does not rotate, and the abutting part 233 of the control lever 23 abuts against the limiting part 212 on the cartridge body 21 and returns to the initial position.

[0122] When it is necessary to remove the ink cartridge 200, first push the ink cartridge 200 forward along the installation direction to disengage the engagement part 252 from the latch structure 4. The pressing part 231 abuts against the inner wall of the ink cartridge mounting part 10, thereby causing the control lever 23 to overcome the biasing force of the spring 24 and move backward relative to the cartridge body 21 (the control lever 23 is facing the ratchet 25). As the ink cartridge 200 moves forward relative to the latch structure 4, the rack 234 engages with the teeth of the ratchet 25, causing the ratchet 25 to rotate in direction A. The engagement part 252 rotates to the horizontal unlocked position (i.e., the engagement part 252 is not abutting against the latch structure 4), as shown in Figure 18. At this time, the ink cartridge 200 can be removed in the opposite direction to the installation direction. At the same time, under the biasing force of the spring 24, the control lever 23 moves forward, the rack 234 undergoes elastic deformation and slides along the teeth of the ratchet 25, and the abutting part 233 of the control lever 23 abuts against the first limiting part 212 on the housing 21 and returns to the initial position.

[0123] Example 3

[0124] As shown in Figures 19 to 23, the main difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the structure of the locking mechanism 12 is different. The locking mechanism 12 in this embodiment no longer has a ratchet and a pawl, but instead has a locking element with a locking track and an unlocking track. The following is a detailed description of this embodiment.

[0125] The ink cartridge 300 includes a generally rectangular box body 31 and a locking mechanism 32. The box body 31 has an ink reservoir for holding ink, and a mechanism for supplying the ink contained in the ink reservoir to the ink outlet 318 of the inkjet printer is located at the lower front end of the box body 31. The locking mechanism 32 is located at the lower part of the box body 31 and cooperates with the latch structure 4 of the inkjet printer to lock and unlock the ink cartridge 300.

[0126] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 32 includes a control lever 33, a spring 34, and a locking member 35. In this embodiment, the control lever 33 is horizontally arranged, and its end extends at least partially out of the housing 31 to form a pressing part 331. Preferably, the control lever 33 extends forward out of the housing 31. Furthermore, the control lever 33 also includes a second limiting part 332 that abuts against the spring 34. The rear end of the control lever 33 also has a downwardly bent part forming an abutment part 333. The abutment part 333 is used to cooperate with the first limiting part 312 provided in the housing 31 to limit the movement space of the control lever 33, so that the control lever 33 can move horizontally within a predetermined range. A sliding post 334 protruding to one side is also formed on the downwardly bent part. One end of the spring 34 abuts against the second limiting part 332, and the other end of the spring 34 abuts against the spring abutting part 311 of the housing 31, thereby applying a forward biasing force to the control lever 33. The abutting part 333 abuts against the first limiting part 312 of the housing, so that the control lever 33 is in the initial position.

[0127] The locking member 35 is movably mounted on the housing 31. A track groove 354 is provided on its mating surface 351 facing the control lever 33. The sliding post 334 can slide within the track groove 354. A mating portion 352 is provided at the lower end of the locking member 35 for engaging with the latch structure 4. Protrusions 353 are provided at both the front and rear ends of the locking member 35 to cooperate with the sliding groove on the housing 31, allowing the locking member 35 to move vertically. Optionally, the locking member 35 can also move vertically by pivoting. The track groove 354 is an irregularly shaped closed ring. Specifically, the track groove 354 has a highest point 3541 located above its front and a lowest point 3542 located below its rear. A limiting point 3543 is also provided above the lowest point 3542. In other embodiments, the track groove 354 may also be open. The sliding post 334 of the control lever 33 and the track groove 354 of the locking member 35 cooperate to form a connection structure, so that the horizontal displacement of the control lever 33 drives the locking member 35 to move in the vertical direction.

[0128] When the ink cartridge 300 is installed into the inkjet printer, the control lever 33 abuts against the inner wall of the ink cartridge mounting part 10. As the ink cartridge 300 is pushed forward, the ink cartridge mounting part 10 presses the pressing part 331 of the control lever 33, causing the control lever 33 to move backward relative to the cartridge body 31 (towards the locking member 35). The sliding column 334 of the control lever 33 moves relative to the locking member 35 along the track groove 354 from the limit point 3543 to the lowest point 3542. The locking member 35 moves upward a predetermined distance. Then, the control lever 33 moves forward relative to the locking member 35 under the push of the spring 34. The sliding column 334 moves to the highest point 3541 of the track groove 354. The locking member 35 is pushed downward, and the engagement part 352 abuts against the latch structure 4 and is in the locked position, as shown in FIG24. Thus, the ink cartridge 300 cannot be removed and is locked in the ink cartridge mounting part 10.

[0129] When it is necessary to remove the ink cartridge 300, first push the ink cartridge 300 forward along the installation direction. The control lever 33 abuts against the inner wall of the ink cartridge mounting part and moves backward relative to the cartridge body 31. The sliding column 334 of the control lever 33 moves backward relative to the locking member 35 along the track groove 354 from its highest point 3541 to the limit point 3543. The locking member 35 is pushed upward, and the engagement part 352 disengages from the latch structure 4 and is in the unlocked position, as shown in FIG25. Thus, the ink cartridge 300 can be removed from the ink cartridge mounting part 10.

[0130] Example 4

[0131] As shown in Figures 26 to 30, the main difference between this embodiment and embodiment 3 is that the locking mechanism 42 is different, and the control lever 43 is located on the rear side of the ink cartridge 400. The control lever 43 is pressed by the user to realize the installation / removal of the ink cartridge 400. The following is a detailed description of this embodiment.

[0132] The ink cartridge 400 includes a generally cuboid-shaped housing 41 and a locking mechanism 42. The housing 41 has an ink reservoir 419 for containing ink, and an ink outlet 418 for supplying ink from the ink reservoir 419 to the inkjet printer is located at the lower front end of the housing 41. The locking mechanism 42 is located at the lower part of the housing 41 and engages with the latch structure 4 of the inkjet printer to lock and unlock the ink cartridge 400.

[0133] The locking mechanism 42 includes a control lever 43, a spring 44, a locking element 45, and a torsion spring 46. The control lever 43 extends horizontally, with its rear end at least partially extending outside the housing 41 to form a pressing part 431. The pressing part 431 is rotatable relative to the connecting rod 432. The spring 44 is sleeved on the connecting rod 432. The front end of the spring 44 abuts against an abutment 411 located at the rear end of the housing 41, and the rear end of the spring 44 abuts against the pressing part 431 to apply a rearward biasing force to the control lever 43. The front end of the control lever 43 is provided with an abutment block 433. The connecting rod 432 connects the pressing part 431 and the abutment block 433. The abutment block 433 has a downwardly inclined first abutment surface 4331. The pressing part 431 has a first locking groove 4311 and a second locking groove 4312 that are evenly distributed and connected in the circumferential direction. The depth of the first locking groove 4311 is greater than the depth of the second locking groove 4312 in the front-back direction. The bottom surfaces of the first locking groove 4311 and the second locking groove 4312 are inclined, and their top surfaces are also inclined at the same angle. The box body 41 is provided with an abutment 411 that mates with the pressing part 431. The abutment 411 has a first protrusion 4111 and a second protrusion 4112 that are connected and of different heights. The top and bottom surfaces of the first protrusion 4111 and the second protrusion 4112, as well as the first locking groove 4311 and the second locking groove 4312 of the pressing part 431, are inclined at the same angle. The height of the first protrusion 4111 is greater than the height of the second protrusion 4112 in the front-back direction.

[0134] The locking member 45 has a slider 451 that abuts against the control lever 43. The slider 451 has a joint 452 below it. The protrusions 453 on both sides of the joint 452 are used to cooperate with the guide groove 414 provided on the housing 41 to guide the locking member 45 to move up and down. The slider 451 has an upwardly inclined first abutting surface 4511, which is used to abut against the first abutting surface 4331 of the control lever 43. The torsion spring 46 is provided on the fixing post 413 of the housing 41 to apply an upward biasing force to the locking member 45. The abutting block 433 of the control lever 43 is used to cooperate with the slider 451 of the locking member 45 to form a connection structure so that the horizontal displacement of the control lever 43 drives the locking member 45 to move in the vertical direction.

[0135] When installing the ink cartridge 400 into the inkjet printer, after the ink cartridge 400 is installed into the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the pressing part 431 is pressed. The first protrusion 4111 and the second protrusion 4112 of the abutment member 411 of the cartridge body 41 disengage from the first latching groove 4311 and the second latching groove 4312, respectively. The pressing part 431 rotates until the side wall of the first protrusion 4111 of the abutment member 411 abuts against the side wall of the second latching groove 4312. The pressing part 431 then stops rotating. The protrusion 4111 engages with the second locking groove 4312, and the control lever 43 is pushed forward. The slider 451, which abuts against the abutting block 433, cannot move forward, causing its first abutted surface 4511 to slide relative to the first abutting surface 4331 of the abutting block 433. This pushes the locking member 45 to move downward, and the engaging part 452 abuts against the front side of the latch structure 4 and is in a locked position, as shown in FIG31. Thus, the ink cartridge 400 cannot be removed and is locked in the ink cartridge mounting part 10.

[0136] When the ink cartridge 400 needs to be removed, the pressing part 431 is pressed. After the first protrusion 4111 of the abutment member 411 disengages from the second locking groove 4312 of the pressing part 431, the pressing part 431 rotates. The control lever 43 moves backward under the biasing force of the spring 44. The first protrusion 4111 and the second protrusion 4112 of the abutment member 411 of the cartridge body 41 engage with the first locking groove 4311 and the second locking groove 4312 of the pressing part 431, respectively. The abutment block 433 of the control lever 43 moves backward. The locking member 45 moves upward under the biasing force of the torsion spring 46. The first abutted surface 4511 of the slider 451 slides along the first abutting surface 4331 of the abutment block 433. The engaging part 452 disengages from the latch structure 4 and is in the unlocked position, as shown in FIG32. Thus, the ink cartridge 400 can be removed from the ink cartridge mounting part 10.

[0137] Example 5

[0138] As shown in Figures 33-35, the main difference between this embodiment and embodiment 4 is that the control lever 53 is located on the front side of the ink cartridge 500. The control lever 43 is pressed by the user to realize the installation / removal of the ink cartridge 400. The following is a detailed description of this embodiment.

[0139] In this embodiment, similar to Embodiment 4, the locking mechanism 52 includes a control rod 53, a spring 54, and a locking member 55. The control rod 53 extends horizontally, with at least a portion of its end extending outside the housing 51 to form a pressing portion 531. The pressing portion 531 is rotatable relative to the connecting rod 532. The spring 54 is sleeved on the connecting rod 532, with one end abutting against an abutment member disposed on the housing 51 and the other end abutting against the pressing portion 531 to apply a rearward biasing force to the control rod 53. The abutment block 533 has a downwardly inclined first abutment surface 5331 for abutting against the locking member 55. It should be noted that this embodiment also includes the same abutment member, protrusion, and engaging groove that cooperates with the protrusion as in Embodiment 4, which will not be described further here.

[0140] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 52 in this embodiment may also be provided with a torsion spring (elastic element) similar to that in embodiment 4, for providing an upward force to the locking member 55.

[0141] Regarding the locking member 55, the difference between this embodiment and embodiment 4 is that the locking member 55 in this embodiment includes a slider 551 that abuts against the control rod 53, a joint portion 552 disposed below the slider 551, and a guide portion 553 disposed on the slider 551. The guide portion 553 is used to abut against the first abutting surface of the control rod 53.

[0142] In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 55 is disposed inside the ink reservoir. Therefore, the housing 51 is also provided with sealing members corresponding to the pressing part 531 and the engaging part 552. In other embodiments, the locking mechanism 55 mentioned in this embodiment may also be disposed outside the ink reservoir, which is not limited here.

[0143] When installing ink cartridge 500 into the inkjet printer, ink cartridge 500 moves towards the ink suction part 1 of ink cartridge mounting part 10 along the installation direction until the control lever 53 abuts against the inner wall of ink cartridge mounting part 10. At this point, the ink cartridge 500 is pushed forward, and ink cartridge mounting part 10 presses the pressing part 531 of control lever 53, causing control lever 53 to move backward relative to cartridge body 51 (towards locking member 55). The protrusion of the abutment member of cartridge body 51 disengages from the locking groove, and pressing part 531 rotates to... The protruding sidewall of the abutment abuts against the sidewall of the locking groove, the pressing part 531 no longer rotates, the protrusion engages with the locking groove, the control lever 53 is pushed forward, the guide part 553 on the slider 551 moves relative to the abutment block 533, the slider 551 extends outward from the cartridge 11 under the action of gravity or torsion spring (elastic element), and then the engaging part 552 can abut against the latching structure 4. At this time, the engaging part 552 is in the locked position, as shown in Figure 33, thus locking the ink cartridge 100.

[0144] When it is necessary to remove the ink cartridge 500, first push the ink cartridge 500 forward along the installation direction. The pressing part 531 of the control lever 53 abuts against the inner wall of the ink cartridge mounting part 10 and moves backward relative to the cartridge body 51. After the protrusion of the abutting part disengages from the locking groove of the pressing part 531, the pressing part 531 rotates. Under the biasing force of the spring 54, the control lever 53 moves backward (away from the direction of the ink cartridge mounting part 10). The protrusions on the abutting part of the cartridge body 51 engage with the locking groove of the pressing part 531 respectively. The abutting block 533 of the control lever 53 moves backward (retracts into the cartridge body 51). Then, the first abutting surface of the abutting block 533 abuts against the guide part 553, causing the guide part 553 to move upward (retracts into the cartridge body 51), thereby causing the engaging part 552 to disengage from the latch structure 4. At this time, the engaging part 552 is in the unlocked position, as shown in Figure 34, so that the ink cartridge 500 can be removed from the ink cartridge mounting part 10.

[0145] Example 6

[0146] As shown in Figures 36-41, the main difference between this embodiment and embodiment 2 is that there are two ratchet wheels in this embodiment; the following is a detailed description of this embodiment.

[0147] In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 72 includes a control lever 73, a spring 74, a transmission wheel 751, a ratchet 752, a rack 76 that cooperates with the transmission wheel 751, a pawl 77 that cooperates with the ratchet 752, and a connecting portion 78 for abutting against the latch structure 4; wherein, the rack 76 is disposed on the control lever 73, and the arrangement of the control lever 73 and the spring 74 is basically the same as in embodiment 2, and will not be described again here.

[0148] The drive wheel 751, ratchet 752 and engagement part 78 are interconnected and rotatably mounted on the housing 71. When the pressing part 731 on the control lever 73 is pressed, it drives the rack 76 to move backward (retract into the housing 71) to push the drive wheel 751 to rotate. At the same time, the engagement part 78 and the ratchet 752 rotate together.

[0149] The number of joints 78 is set to at least one. Optionally, the number of joints 78 can be one, two, three, four, five or six. There is no specific limitation on the number of joints 78. Preferably, the joints 78 are plate-shaped. In this embodiment, two plate-shaped joints 78 are symmetrically arranged along the left and right extending axes.

[0150] Preferably, the transmission wheel 751 can be a gear or a ratchet, and the number of teeth on the transmission wheel 751 is greater than the number of teeth on the ratchet 752. In this embodiment, the transmission wheel 751 is a ratchet.

[0151] When the ink cartridge 700 is installed into the ink cartridge mounting part, the control lever 73 is in the initial position, and the engagement part 78 is in a horizontal position (or a position that does not abut against the latch structure 4). The installation of the ink cartridge 700 into the ink cartridge mounting part 10 along the installation direction is unrestricted. The pressing part 731 abuts against the inner wall of the ink cartridge mounting part 10, causing the control lever 73 to move backward relative to the cartridge body 71. The rack 76 that moves backward simultaneously drives the transmission wheel 751, ratchet 752, and engagement part 78 to rotate together. When the movement of the ink cartridge 700 along the installation direction is basically in place, the engagement part 78 is rotated to a vertical position (or a position that abuts against the latch structure 4) and abuts against the front side of the latch structure 4. At this time, with the cooperation of the ratchet 752 and the pawl 77, the engagement part 78 cannot rotate, thereby locking the ink cartridge 700.

[0152] When it is necessary to remove the ink cartridge 700, first push the ink cartridge 700 forward in the installation direction to disengage the engagement part 78 from the latch structure 4. The pressing part 731 abuts against the inner wall of the ink cartridge mounting part 10, thereby causing the control lever 73 to overcome the biasing force of the spring 74 and move backward relative to the cartridge body 71 (the control lever 73 is facing the transmission wheel 751). As the ink cartridge 700 moves forward relative to the latch structure 4, the rack 76 engages with the teeth of the transmission wheel 751, causing the ratchet 752 and the engagement part 78 to rotate together, so that the engagement part 78 rotates to the horizontal unlocked position (i.e., the engagement part 78 is not abutting against the latch structure 4). At this time, the ink cartridge 700 can be removed in the opposite direction to the installation direction. At the same time, under the biasing force of the spring 74, the control lever 73 moves forward, the rack 76 undergoes elastic deformation and slides along the teeth of the transmission wheel 751, and the abutting part of the control lever 73 abuts against the limiting part on the cartridge body 71 and returns to the initial position.

[0153] The above settings, on the one hand, increase the rotation angle of the ratchet 752 by using the transmission wheel 751 with more teeth, ensuring that the locking structure 72 can still lock and unlock normally after the ink cartridge 700 times of installation and removal.

[0154] Example 7

[0155] Based on the inventive concept of the present invention, this embodiment provides a locking mechanism 12 as described below. Structures identical to those in the above embodiments will not be described again.

[0156] As shown in Figures 42, 43, and 44, the housing 11 includes a first housing 111 and a second housing 112 joined together. An ink receiving cavity 119 is located between the first housing 111 and the second housing 112, and an ink outlet 118 is disposed on the second housing 112. At least a portion of the locking mechanism 12 is disposed in the extension groove 11d1. The locking mechanism 12 includes a control rod 13, a spring 14, a ratchet 15, and a pawl 16. The control rod 13 is movably disposed relative to the housing 11, and one end of the spring 14 is engaged with a second limiting portion disposed in the control rod 13. 133 abuts, and the other end abuts with the spring abutting part 11i of the cartridge body 11. In the front-back direction, the locking mechanism 12 does not extend beyond the rear surface 11b. Therefore, the integrity of the rear surface 11b is maintained, and the overall appearance of the ink cartridge 100 is improved. When the locking mechanism 12 receives a rearward force, the spring 14 will generate elastic deformation and tend to push the control lever 13 forward. The ratchet 15 is rotatably disposed on the cartridge body 11, and the pawl 16 protrudes from the cartridge body 11. Preferably, the pawl 16 is formed as a cantilever that is elastically deformable relative to the cartridge body 11.

[0157] The control lever 13 includes a lever body 130, a blocked portion 132, and a rack 134. The second limiting portion 133 is disposed on the lever body 130. The blocked portion 132 is used to abut against the guide member 10d to limit the range of motion of the control lever 13. The rack 134 is used to drive the ratchet 15 to rotate, so that the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 moves between the locked position and the unlocked position. When the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 is in the locked position, the ratchet 15 abuts against the pawl 16. At the same time, the ratchet 15 also abuts against the ink cartridge mounting portion 10, and the ink cartridge 100 is locked in the ink cartridge mounting portion 10. When the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 is in the unlocked position, the ink cartridge 100 can move relative to the ink cartridge mounting portion 10.

[0158] In some embodiments, the rack 134 and the rod 130 are separate, but the rack 134 can still be driven by the rod 130 and move in the front-back direction.

[0159] In some embodiments, the second limiting part 133 and the rack 134 are both connected to the rod body 130. Preferably, the control rod 13 is integrally formed.

[0160] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG44, the teeth in the rack 134 have a rack first surface 134a and a rack second surface 134b. In the front-rear direction, the rack first surface 134a is located in front of the rack second surface 134b. At least the rack first surface 134a is inclined relative to the front-rear direction, and the angle between the rack first surface 134a and the forward direction is greater than 90 degrees.

[0161] In some embodiments, the control lever 13 further includes a guide mating portion 13a provided on the lever body 130. Correspondingly, the housing 11 is provided with guide mating portions 11j / 11k for mating with the guide mating portion 13a (as shown in FIG42). For example, the guide mating portion 13a is configured as a protrusion, and the guide mating portions 11j / 11k are configured as slots / holes extending in the front-back direction. Conversely, the guide mating portion 13a can also be configured as a slot / hole extending in the front-back direction, and the guide mating portions 11j / 11k can also be configured as a protrusion.

[0162] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG44, the control lever 13 further includes a guide support portion 13b connected to the guide mating portion 13a. The guide support portion 13b can enhance the strength of the guide mating portion 13a. When the control lever 13 slides with the guide mating portion 11j / 11k through the guide mating portion 13a, the guide support portion 13b can also abut against the housing 11 to control the movement direction of the control lever 13.

[0163] The ratchet 15 includes a first rotating body 151, a second rotating body 152, and a third rotating body 153. The first rotating body 151 is used to engage with and be driven by the rack 134. The second rotating body 152 is used to engage with the cartridge mounting part 10 / guide member 10d, so that the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 / second rotating body 152 reaches the locked position. The third rotating body 153 is used to engage with the pawl 16, so that the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 / second rotating body 152 is held in the locked position. Therefore, the second rotating body 152 is the aforementioned engagement part. The second rotating body 152 and the third rotating body 153 can be collectively referred to as a locking member, which has the aforementioned locked position and unlocked position.

[0164] In some embodiments, the first rotating body 151, the second rotating body 152, and the third rotating body 153 are integrally formed, as shown in FIG43. The first rotating body 151, the second rotating body 152, and the third rotating body 153 have a common rotation axis 150 and rotate in the same direction about a common rotation axis L15. The second rotating body 152 and the third rotating body 153 rotate by receiving a driving force from the first rotating body 151.

[0165] In some embodiments, along the rotation axis L15, the first rotating body 151 is located between the second rotating body 152 and the third rotating body 153, which can avoid mutual interference between the ratchet 15, the pawl 16 and the guide 10d, and improve the design freedom of the ink cartridge 100.

[0166] The first rotating body 151 includes a first rotating shaft 1510 and a first actuating part 1511. A plurality of first actuating parts 1511 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the first rotating shaft 1510. Each first actuating part 1511 has a first forward surface 1511a and a first backward surface 1511b. The first forward surface 1511a is used to mesh with the rack 134 to receive the driving force from the rack 134. The first backward surface 1511b cannot receive the driving force from the rack 134. In one first actuating part 1511, along the rotation direction r of the ratchet 15, the first forward surface 1511a is located upstream of the first backward surface 1511b.

[0167] Specifically, as shown in Figure 45D, when the first rotating body 151 is projected along the rotation axis L15, the first positive surface 1511a will be formed as a straight line or curve, and has a first positive surface start point and a first positive surface end point. The first positive surface start point is connected to the first rotation axis 1510, and the first positive surface end point is located upstream of the first positive surface start point along the rotation direction r. The first negative surface 1511b will also be formed as a straight line or curve, and has a first negative surface start point and a first negative surface end point. The first negative surface start point is connected to the first rotation axis 1510, and the first negative surface end point is located upstream of the first negative surface start point along the rotation direction r. In a first actuating part 1511, the first positive surface end point is located at the upstreammost position, the first negative surface start point is located at the downstreammost position, and the angle between the first positive surface 1511a and the tangent passing through the first positive surface start point is greater than the angle between the first negative surface 1511b and the tangent passing through the first positive surface start point.

[0168] As shown in Figure 43, the third rotating body 153 includes a third rotating shaft 1530 and a third action part 1531. Multiple third action parts 1531 are distributed at intervals along the circumferential direction of the third rotating shaft 1530. Each third action part 1531 has a third positive surface 1531a and a third negative surface 1531b. The third positive surface 1531a is used to cooperate with the pawl 16 so that the locking mechanism 12 / second rotation 152 / locking member is held in the locked position. The third negative surface 1531b cannot cooperate with the pawl 16. Similarly, the third action part 1531 has basically the same structural characteristics as the first action part 1511. For example, in a third action part 1531, along the rotation direction r of the ratchet 15, the third positive surface 1531a is located upstream of the third negative surface 1531b. The angle between the third positive surface 1531a and the tangent passing through the starting point of the third positive surface is greater than the angle between the third negative surface 1531b and the tangent passing through the starting point of the third positive surface.

[0169] In some embodiments, the distance / angle between two adjacent third action parts 1531 is greater than the distance / angle between two adjacent first action parts 1511. Preferably, the four third action parts 1531 are arranged at equal intervals around the third rotation axis 1530, that is, the included angle between two adjacent third action parts 1531 is 90 degrees.

[0170] In some embodiments, when viewed along the rotation axis L15, the first action portion 1511 and the third action portion 1531 coincide. When viewed along a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis L15, the third action portion 1531 extends longer than the first action portion 1511. That is, when the ratchet 15 is projected along a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis L15, a portion of the first rotating body 151 and a portion of the third rotating body 153 coincide. This design helps to reduce the complexity of the integrally formed ratchet 15.

[0171] The second rotating body 152 includes a second rotating shaft 1520 and a second working part 1521. The second working part 1521 protrudes from the second rotating shaft 1520 and has a working surface 1522 for abutting against the locking surface 10d2, as shown in FIG43. The two second working parts 1521 are symmetrically arranged, and the two working surfaces 1522 are also symmetrically arranged.

[0172] The locking and unlocking processes of the ink cartridge 100 involved in this embodiment are described below with reference to Figures 45A-45D. To more clearly show the movement process of the locking mechanism 12, the cartridge body 11 is not shown in Figures 45A-45D.

[0173] As shown in Figure 45A, when the ink cartridge 100 has not yet been installed into the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the working surface 1522 is parallel to the front-back direction, and the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 / second rotating body 152 is in the unlocked position. When the ink cartridge 100 begins to enter the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the second rotating body 152 will not interfere with the guide 10d, and the ink cartridge 100 can be installed smoothly.

[0174] As the user pushes the ink cartridge 100 forward for installation, the elastic element in the ink cartridge mounting section 10 is compressed by the cartridge body 11 and undergoes elastic deformation. When the forward-facing surface (blocked surface) 1321 of the blocked section 132 abuts against the blocking surface 10d4, the control lever 13 / rack 134 will no longer move forward, but the ratchet 15 will continue to move forward with the cartridge body 11. The control lever 13 / rack 134 will move backward relative to the ratchet 15, and the spring 14 will be compressed and undergo elastic deformation. The first surface 134a of the rack will then be in contact with the first forward-facing surface. When 1511a abuts, the ratchet 15 will be driven and rotated about the rotation axis L15 in the direction indicated by r. The ratchet 15 / second rotating body 152 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position. At this time, the second action part 1521 enters the spacer part 10e, the action surface 1522 is no longer parallel to the front-back direction, and at least a part of the action surface 1522 is opposite to the locking surface 10d2. The action surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2 can either be spaced apart from each other or abut against each other. Preferably, the action surface 1522 is perpendicular to the front-back direction at this time.

[0175] Subsequently, the user stops pushing the ink cartridge 100, and the elastic element 10f in the ink cartridge mounting part 10 releases its elastic force, forcing the cartridge body 11 to drive the ratchet 15 to move backward. At this time, the first back surface 1511b abuts against the second surface 134b, but no driving force is transmitted between them. The ratchet 15 slides over the rack 134 until the action surface 1522 abuts against the locking surface 10d2. At the same time, the third front surface 1531a abuts against the pawl 16. The elastic element in the ink cartridge mounting part 10 continues to apply a backward elastic force to the cartridge body 11, which can be overcome by the abutment between the action surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2. The forward pushing force applied by the locking surface 10d2 to the action surface 1522 can be overcome by the abutment between the third front surface 1531a and the pawl 16. Finally, the ink cartridge 100 is locked in the ink cartridge mounting part 10.

[0176] When the ink cartridge 100 needs to be removed, as shown in Figure 45C, the user still pushes the cartridge body 11 forward. The ratchet 15 will move forward again with the cartridge body 11, and the spring 14 will deform elastically again. When the blocked surface 1321 abuts against the blocking surface 10d4 again, the control lever 13 / rack 134 will move backward relative to the ratchet 15 again. The ratchet 15 will rotate again in the spacer 10e around the rotation axis L15 in the direction shown by r, as shown in Figure 45D. The locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 / second rotating body 152 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position, and the action surface 1522 returns to a state parallel to the front and back direction. The ink cartridge 100 can be removed smoothly. The elastic force released by the spring 14, which has deformed elastically again, will force the rack 134 to reset, thereby reserving the stroke for the rack 134 to move backward relative to the ratchet 15 next time.

[0177] In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 12 further includes a spacer 135 disposed on the abutting / blocked portion 132. The spacer 135 is elastic, as shown in FIG45B. When the ink cartridge 100 is locked, or when the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 / second rotation 152 is in the locked position, the spacer 135 is located between the blocked surface 1321 and the blocking surface 10d4. During the process of removing the ink cartridge 100, since the cartridge body 11 will be pushed forward again, as shown in FIG45C, the spacer 135 with elasticity will provide space for the blocked portion 132 / control lever 13 to move forward, avoiding the blocked surface 1321 and the blocking surface 10d4 from abutting each other, which would prevent the control lever 13 from continuing to move forward.

[0178] The aforementioned spacer 135 provides space for the blocked part 132 / control lever 13 to move forward, which will cause the rack 134 to also move forward. However, the forward-moving rack 134 will not drive the ratchet 15 to rotate. Thus, when the elastic member 14 releases its elastic force to force the control lever 13 to move backward, the ratchet 15 will be driven by the rack 134. As a result, the ratchet 15 can obtain a larger rotation angle, which helps to reduce the risk of cartridge 100 unlocking failure.

[0179] Conversely, if the elastic spacer 135 is not provided, as described above, the ratchet 15 is driven to rotate only by the forward movement of the cartridge body 11. However, one possible situation is that when the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 / second rotating body 152 reaches the locked position, the first actuating part 1511 may have already reached or is about to reach the front end of the rack 134. In this case, during the unlocking process of the cartridge 100, even if the ratchet 15 moves forward with the cartridge body 11, since the first actuating part 1511 can no longer engage with the rack 134, the ratchet 15 will no longer be able to rotate in the direction indicated by r. Finally, the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 / second rotating body 152 cannot reach the unlocking position, and the unlocking of the cartridge 100 fails. However, the forward-moving rack 134 can cause the ratchet 15, which moves forward with the cartridge body 11, to continue engaging with the rack 134, thereby allowing the ratchet 15 to continue rotating and unlocking.

[0180] In some embodiments, the spacer 135 is an elastic member installed on the control lever 13 / blocked portion 132. For example, the spacer 135 can be a compression spring, sponge, rubber, etc.

[0181] In some embodiments, the spacer 135 may also be a part of the blocked portion 132 itself, that is, at least a portion of the blocked portion 132 is configured to be elastic, for example, the forward-facing portion of the blocked portion 132 is configured as a cantilever.

[0182] (Improvement of the third body of revolution)

[0183] The improved structure of the third rotating body 153 is described below with reference to Figure 46.

[0184] As described above, during the removal of the ink cartridge 100, the rotation angle of the ratchet 15 may be insufficient, causing the second action part 1521 and the guide 10d to interfere with each other in the front-back direction, resulting in the failure of the locking mechanism 12 / ratchet 15 / second action part 152 to unlock, and the ink cartridge 100 cannot be removed smoothly, as shown in Figure 46, where the action surface 1522 is tilted relative to the front-back direction.

[0185] In this improved structure, the third function part 1531 is set as a first group 153a and a second group 153b, which are arranged at intervals along the rotation direction r / circumferential direction of the third rotating body 153. The number of third function parts 1531 in the first group 153a is different from the number of third function parts 1531 in the second group 153b. Preferably, the two first groups 153a are symmetrically arranged and the two second groups 153b are symmetrically arranged. The following description takes the example of setting two third function parts 1531 in the first group 153a and setting one third function part 5131 in the second group 153b. In the first group 153a, a clamping space 1532 is formed between the two third function parts 1531.

[0186] Along the rotation direction r / circumferential direction of the third rotating body 153, the third functional parts 1531 in the two second groups 153b and the third functional parts 1531 located upstream in the two first groups 153a are arranged at equal intervals. Therefore, along the rotation direction r, the included angle between the third functional part 1531 located downstream in the first group 153a and the third functional part 1531 in the second group 153b will be less than 90 degrees.

[0187] Ideally, the ratchet 15 is driven by the rack 134 to rotate to a position where the action surface 1522 is parallel to the front-back direction. At this time, the pawl 161 in the pawl 16 will abut against the third action part 1531 located upstream in the first group 153, and the cartridge 100 can be removed without interference or obstruction. However, when the travel of the rack 134 is insufficient for the action part 1522 to reach the aforementioned position, the ratchet 15 / third rotating body 153 may reach the position shown in Figure 46. At this time, the pawl 161 has not yet reached the position where it abuts against the third action part 1531 located upstream in the first group 153. Then, under the action of its own gravity, the ratchet 15 / second rotating body 152 / second action part 1521 may rotate in the opposite direction to the direction shown by r, so that the action surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2 are again opposite to each other in the front-back direction. As a result, the ratchet 15 / second rotating body 152 / second action part 1521 fails to unlock, and the cartridge 100 cannot be removed.

[0188] However, when the downstream third action part 1531 is set in the first group 153a, even if the action surface 1522 has not yet reached the position parallel to the front and rear direction, the claw part 161 can enter the clamping space 1532 formed between the two third action parts 1531 in the first group 153a. Thus, the claw part 161 abuts against the downstream third action part 1531 in the first group 153a, so that the ratchet 15 will not rotate to the point that the action surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2 are opposite each other again, and the ink cartridge 100 can still be taken out smoothly.

[0189] Preferably, the second rotating body 152 further includes a curved surface 1523 disposed on the second actuating part 1521. When the actuating surface 1522 is inclined relative to the front-back direction and the claw part 161 abuts against the third actuating part 1531 located downstream in the first group 153a, the curved surface 1523 can slide from a position coinciding with the locking surface 10d2 in the front-back direction to above the locking surface 10d2, so that the ink cartridge 100 can be smoothly removed. It should be understood that the curved surface 1523 does not necessarily have to be a curved surface. It is sufficient that the locking mechanism 12 can move without interference from the guide member 10d mainly through the abutment of the curved surface 1523 with the guide member 10d. For example, the curved surface 1523 can also be an inclined surface, a stepped surface, etc.

[0190] Example 8

[0191] Compared to Embodiment 7, the ratchet 15 in this embodiment is formed in two parts, as shown in Figures 48 and 49. The second rotating body 152 and the third rotating body 153 are integrally formed, and the whole (assembly) formed by the combination of the second rotating body 152 and the third rotating body 153 is separately formed from the first rotating body 151. The first rotating body 151 has a rotation axis L151 for being driven by the rack 134. The assembly has a rotation axis L152 and can be driven by the first rotating body 151.

[0192] Furthermore, the first rotating body 151 is also provided with a driving force transmission part 15a, and the assembly is also provided with a driving force receiving part 15b. Through the combination of the driving force transmission part 15a and the driving force receiving part 15b, the driving force is transmitted from the first rotating body 151 to the assembly. It is possible that both the driving force transmission part 15a and the driving force receiving part 15b can be set as gears, or they can be set as friction wheels, pulleys, etc.

[0193] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first actuating part 1511 and the third actuating part 1531 overlap in at least one direction perpendicular to the left-right direction. This design can reduce the size requirements of the locking mechanism 12 in the left-right direction.

[0194] The first rotating body 151 and the combined body are formed separately. The position and shape of the rack 134 and the pawl 16 can be changed according to design requirements. Multiple intermediate transmission components can also be set between the first rotating body 151 and the combined body according to design requirements to further improve the design freedom of the locking mechanism 12.

[0195] Furthermore, the separation of the first rotating body 151 and the combined body allows the working surface 1522 to rotate at a larger angle within the limited stroke of the rack 134, making it easier to overcome the unlocking failure problem. At the same time, it also reduces the size of the rack 134, and correspondingly, the size of the ink cartridge 100 can be controlled.

[0196] As shown in Figure 47, the ink cartridge 100 involved in this embodiment also includes a forward-facing clearance portion 116a. The clearance portion 116a is recessed from the front surface 11a of the cartridge body 11 toward the ink receiving portion 119. When the ink cartridge 100 is locked, the elastic member in the ink cartridge mounting portion 10 enters the clearance portion 116a. When the ink cartridge 100 pivots incorrectly at the junction of the ink outlet 118 and the ink suction portion 1, the clearance portion 116a abuts against the elastic member to limit such incorrect pivoting, thereby preventing damage to the ink suction portion 1.

[0197] In some embodiments, the avoidance part 116a is arranged around the air inlet 116.

[0198] Example 9

[0199] Based on Embodiment 7, this embodiment further improves the structure of the locking mechanism 12. Structures identical to those in the above embodiments will not be described again. This embodiment focuses on describing the differences from Embodiment 7.

[0200] As shown in Figure 50, the locking mechanism 12 in this embodiment also includes a control lever 13, a spring 14, a ratchet 15, and an actuating element 154. The ratchet 15 is rotatably mounted on the housing 11 and is configured to be driven by the control lever 13. When the ratchet 15 rotates, the actuating element 154 can move between the locked position and the unlocked position. Therefore, the actuating element 154 in this embodiment can be regarded as the aforementioned locking element.

[0201] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 12 also includes an active part 1512 disposed on the ratchet 15 and a driven part 1544 disposed on the actuator 154. Through the cooperation of the active part 1512 and the driven part 1544, the actuator 154 can be driven by the ratchet 15 to move from the locked position to the unlocked position. Similarly, the ratchet 15 also includes the aforementioned first rotating shaft 1510 and first actuator 1511, with multiple first actuators 1511 distributed at intervals along the circumferential direction of the first rotating shaft 1510.

[0202] In some embodiments, the active part 1512 protrudes from the first rotation axis 1510. Preferably, the active part 1512 is coaxially arranged with the first actuating part 1511, and the two can rotate simultaneously. Preferably, the two active parts 1512 are arranged opposite each other radially along the first rotation axis 1510.

[0203] As one embodiment of the movement of the actuating member 154, at least a portion of the actuating member 154 in this embodiment is configured to move along a straight line.

[0204] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 12 also includes a guide mechanism 156 for guiding the action member 154. Through the guidance of the guide mechanism 156, the movement trajectory of the action member 154 will be clearer, thereby the locking mechanism 12 will have higher locking accuracy.

[0205] The actuating element 154 includes an actuating body 1540 and a third actuating part 1541, wherein the third actuating part 1541 protrudes from the actuating body 1540 and the third actuating part 1541 also has the actuating surface 1522.

[0206] In some embodiments, the actuating element 154 further includes a limiting path 1542 disposed on the actuating body 1540, and the first rotating shaft 1510 enters the limiting path 1542, thereby the actuating element 154 can be guided by the first rotating shaft 1510.

[0207] In some embodiments, the guide mechanism 156 is provided with a guide surface 1561, through which the actuating member 154 and the guide mechanism 156 form a surface contact, which can further improve the movement stability of the actuating member 154.

[0208] In some embodiments, the guide mechanism 156 is further provided with a receiving portion 1562 for receiving the first rotating shaft 1510, so that the ratchet 15 can be supported more stably by allowing the first rotating shaft 1510 to enter the receiving portion 1562.

[0209] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG52A, the actuating member 154 further includes a receiving cavity 1543 for receiving at least a portion of the actuating member 1512, and the driven member 1544 is formed as the top surface of the receiving cavity 1543.

[0210] In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 12 further includes a locking force-applying member 155 for pushing the actuating member 154 toward the locking position. The locking force-applying member 155 may be configured as a compression spring, rubber, sponge, etc., which are separately formed from the actuating member 154, or as a cantilever integrally formed with the actuating member 154 / acting body 1540, as long as the locking force-applying member 155 can generate a pushing force that forces the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 to move toward the locking position.

[0211] In some implementations, the locking force application element 155 may be omitted, and the actuating element 154 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position by its own gravity. That is, the actuating element 154 can move from the unlocked position to the locked position by its own gravity and the action of at least one of the locking force application element 155.

[0212] The locking process of the locking mechanism 12 in this embodiment is described below with reference to Figures 52A, 52B and 52C.

[0213] As shown in Figure 52A, when the ink cartridge 100 has not yet been installed into the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the active part 1512 abuts against the driven part 1544, the actuating member 154 is held in the unlocked position, and the actuating surface 1522 is located above the guide surface 10d1 in the vertical direction. Thus, the ink cartridge 100 can be installed into the ink cartridge mounting part 10 without obstruction. The locking force-applying member 155 is also abutting against the cartridge body 11. At this time, the locking force-applying member 155 is in an elastic deformation state.

[0214] In some embodiments, the third action part 1541 further includes a curved part 1523 located in front of the action surface 1522 to ensure that when the third action part 1541 interferes with the guide member 10d, the action member 154 can reach above the guide surface 10d1.

[0215] As the housing 11 moves forward, the actuating member 154 abuts against the blocking surface 10d4, as shown in FIG52B. When the third actuating part 1541 is completely opposite to the spacer part 10e, although the locking force applying member 155 applies a downward pushing force (i.e. elastic force) to the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541, the locking mechanism 12 / actuating member 154 remains in the unlocked position because the active part 1512 and the driven part 1544 are still in contact.

[0216] As the ink cartridge 100 moves further forward, the control lever 13 moves backward relative to the cartridge body 11, the spring 14 undergoes elastic deformation, and the blocked surface 1321 and the blocking surface 10d4 remain in contact. The rack 134 drives the ratchet 15 to rotate in the rotation direction r (counterclockwise as shown in Figure 45C). The driving part 1512 and the driven part 1544 gradually disengage. Under the elastic force applied by the locking force-applying member 155, the actuating member 154 moves downward. As shown in Figure 52C, the actuating surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2 are opposite each other in the front-back direction. Under the elastic force released by the elastic member 10f in the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the ink cartridge 100 has a tendency to move backward. However, through the contact between the actuating surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2, the ink cartridge 100 can be locked, and the locking mechanism 12 / actuating member 154 reaches the locked position.

[0217] When it is necessary to remove the ink cartridge 100 from the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the ink cartridge 100 is first pushed forward. During this process, the control lever 13 moves backward relative to the cartridge body 11 again, and the ratchet 15 is driven to continue rotating in the direction indicated by r. As a result, the active part 1512 pushes the driven part 1544 again, causing the actuating member 154 to move from the locked position to the unlocked position until the actuating surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2 are no longer opposite each other in the front-back direction. Subsequently, the user stops pushing the ink cartridge 10 forward. Under the elastic force released by the elastic member 10f in the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the cartridge body 11 drives the ratchet 15 to move backward. At this time, the ratchet 15 / first actuating part 1511 passes over the rack 134, and the ink cartridge 100 is successfully removed.

[0218] It can be seen that the ratchet 15 will only be driven to rotate by the rack 134 when the control lever 13 / rack 134 moves backward relative to the ratchet 15. When the control lever 13 / rack 134 moves forward relative to the ratchet 15, the ratchet 15 will not be driven to rotate.

[0219] Compared to Embodiment 7, in this embodiment, the action surface 1522 can move up and down with the third action part 154. In this way, when it is necessary to remove the ink cartridge 100, it is not necessary to consider the space between the action surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2. This solution can effectively avoid the problem of the action surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2 interfering with each other, which would prevent the ink cartridge 100 from being removed.

[0220] According to the inventive concept of this embodiment, the rotation axis of the ratchet 15 can have various changes, such as the rotation axis being parallel or inclined relative to the left and right direction, or parallel or inclined relative to the front and back direction. As long as the rotation of the ratchet 15 can cause the driving part 1512 to push the driven part 1544, thereby causing the actuating member 154 / locking mechanism 12 to move from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0221] Example 10

[0222] The parts that are the same as in Embodiment 9 will not be repeated. This embodiment focuses on describing the differences from Embodiment 9. As shown in FIG53, the movement of the actuating member 154 in this embodiment is no longer linear motion, but rotational motion. Similarly, through the rotational motion of the actuating body 1540, the third actuating part 1541 connected to the actuating body 1540 and the actuating surface 1522 provided on the third actuating part 1541 can also move between the locked position and the unlocked position. The guide mechanism 156 in this embodiment is formed as the rotation axis of the actuating member 154 to guide the rotational motion of the actuating member 154.

[0223] In some embodiments, the two active parts 1512 are arranged radially opposite each other along the first rotation axis 1510.

[0224] Before the ink cartridge 100 is installed into the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the active part 1512 does not abut against the driven part 1544, and the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 is in the unlocked position. As described above, as the ink cartridge 100 is installed forward, the blocked surface 1321 abuts against the blocking surface 10d4, and the rack 134 moves backward relative to the cartridge body 11. The ratchet 15 is driven to rotate by the rack 134, which in turn drives the active part 1512 to rotate. The active part 1512 gradually abuts against the driven part 1544, and the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 gradually moves from the unlocked position to the locked position. Finally, through the mutual abutment of the active part 1512 and the driven part 1544 in the vertical direction, the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 reaches and remains in the locked position.

[0225] When the ink cartridge 100 needs to be removed, the user pushes the cartridge body 11 forward again, the rack 134 moves backward relative to the cartridge body 11 again, the ratchet 15 is driven to rotate again, which in turn drives the active part 1512 to rotate again. The active part 1512 and the driven part 1544 gradually disengage and abut, and the action member 154 / third action member 1541 / action surface 1522 gradually moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0226] In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 12 may also be provided with the aforementioned locking force-applying member 155, which is used to force the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 to move toward the unlocking position. Specifically, the locking force-applying member 155 may also be provided with the aforementioned compression spring, rubber, sponge, etc., or may be provided with a cantilever integrally formed with the actuating member 154, as long as the locking force-applying member 155 can generate a pushing force that forces the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 to move toward the unlocking position.

[0227] In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 12 may not need to be equipped with a locking force-applying member 155. Instead, the member 154 / third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 can be forced to move toward the unlocking position by adjusting the gravity at different positions of the action part 154. For example, with the guide mechanism 156 as the boundary, when the driven part 1544 and the third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 are set on the same side, the gravity on the side where the third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 is set is set to be smaller than the gravity on the side where the third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 is not set. By using the lever principle, the member 154 / third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 can automatically move toward the unlocking position.

[0228] In some embodiments, when the driven part 1544 and the third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 are disposed on different sides, the gravity on the side where the third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 is disposed will be greater than the gravity on the side where the driven part 1544 is disposed. Before the ink cartridge 100 is installed into the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the locking member 154 / third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 is held in the unlocked position by the contact between the active part 1512 and the driven part 1544. During the installation of the ink cartridge 100, as the rack 134 drives the ratchet 15 to rotate, the active part 1512 no longer contacts the driven part 1544. By utilizing the lever principle, the action part 154 / third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 will automatically move towards the locked position.

[0229] Example 11

[0230] The similarities to the above embodiments will not be repeated. This embodiment focuses on describing the differences from the above embodiments. In this embodiment, the actuating element 154 is disposed on the housing 11 to simplify the structure of the locking mechanism 12.

[0231] As shown in Figure 54, the actuating member 154 is configured as a cantilever connected to the cartridge body 11. Preferably, the actuating member 154 is integrally formed with the cartridge body 11. Under the elastic force of the actuating member 154 itself, the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 is kept in the unlocked position. Therefore, during the installation of the ink cartridge 100, the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 will not interfere with the guide member 10d.

[0232] As the ink cartridge 100 is further installed, the control lever 13 moves backward relative to the cartridge body 11, the ratchet 15 is driven to rotate by the rack 134, the driving part 1512 gradually begins to abut against the driven part 1544, the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position, and the abutting member 1512 and the driven part 1544 are maintained by the driving part 1512, and the actuating member 154 / third actuating part 1541 / acting surface 1522 is kept in the locked position.

[0233] When the ink cartridge 100 needs to be removed from the ink cartridge mounting part 10, as the user pushes the cartridge body 11 forward again, the control lever 13 moves backward relative to the cartridge body 11 again, the ratchet 15 is driven to rotate by the rack 134 again, the driving part 1512 gradually begins to disengage from the driven part 1544, and under the elastic action of the action member 154 itself, the action member 154 / third action part 1541 / action surface 1522 returns from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0234] Example 12

[0235] In this embodiment, the actuator 154 is configured to move in a straight line, and the actuator 154 is no longer driven by the ratchet 15, but is directly driven by the control lever 13. Therefore, the structure of the locking mechanism 12 can be simplified. The locking mechanism 12 involved in this embodiment has the same structure as the above embodiment, and will not be described again.

[0236] As shown in Figure 55, the locking mechanism 12 also includes a protrusion 136 connected to the control lever 13. The actuating member 154 is provided with a movable path 157 for cooperating with the protrusion 136. Through the cooperation of the protrusion 136 and the movable path 157, the locking mechanism 12 / actuating member 154 can move between the locked position and the unlocked position. Optionally, the movable path 157 can be a groove or through hole or a movable space defined by spacer protrusions on the actuating body 1540. The following description takes a groove on the actuating body 1540 as an example to illustrate the movable path 157.

[0237] As shown in Figure 56, the active path 157 includes a first end 157a and a second end 157b. In the front-back direction, the first end 157a is located in front of the second end 157b. In the up-down direction, the first end 157a is located above the second end 157b. Therefore, compared to when the protrusion 136 is located at the second end 157b, when the protrusion 136 is located at the first end 157a, the position of the actuator 154 is lower.

[0238] In some embodiments, the active path 157 further includes a third end 157d located between the first end 157a and the second end 157b. In the vertical direction, the third end 157d is at least lower than the first end 157a. A first channel 157c is formed between the first end 157a and the third end 157d, and a second channel 157f is formed between the third end 157d and the second end 157b. In the first channel 157c and the second channel 157f, at least the extension direction of the first channel 157c is inclined relative to the front-back direction.

[0239] As shown in Figure 57A, before the ink cartridge 100 is installed into the ink cartridge mounting part 10, under the gravity of the actuating member 154, the protrusion 136 is located at the first end 157a. Along the front-rear direction, the third actuating part 1541 overlaps with the blocking surface 10d4, and the locking member 154 remains in the unlocked position. However, since the curved part 1523 is located in front of the actuating surface 1522, when the ink cartridge 100 moves forward, the elastic member 10f in the ink cartridge mounting part 10 undergoes elastic deformation. Through the contact between the curved part 1523 and the blocking surface 10d4, the actuating member 154... 54 begins to move upward relative to the protrusion 136, passing through the first channel 157c. The protrusion 136 changes from being located at the first end 157a to being located at the third end 157d, as shown in Figure 57B. When the protrusion 136 is located at the third end 157d or at the second end 157b, the actuator 154 reaches the uppermost position. At this time, the actuator 154 is located above the guide surface 10d1, and the actuator 154 can continue to move forward unimpeded along with the housing 11.

[0240] As shown in Figure 57C, the blocked surface 1321 abuts against the blocking surface 10d4, and the control lever 13 stops moving forward. After the third actuating part 1541 reaches the interval 10e, the actuating member 154 will continue to move forward with the cartridge body 11. The spring 14 undergoes elastic deformation and passes through the second channel 157f. The protrusion 136 changes from the position located at the third end 157d to the position located at the second end 157b. When the ink cartridge 100 stops moving forward, the protrusion 136 is located at the position of the second end 157b. Subsequently, the elastic member 10f releases its elastic force, and the cartridge body 11 drives the actuating member 154 to move backward. At the same time, the protrusion 136 changes from the position located at the second end 157b to the position located at the third end 157d. The position of d changes, and then changes towards the position closer to the first end 157a. During this process, the actuating member 154 moves backward and downward simultaneously until the limiting surface 1545 of the actuating member 154 / acting body 1540 abuts against the guiding surface 10d1, as shown in Figure 57D. At this time, the actuating surface 1522 and the locking surface 10d2 are opposite each other in the front-back direction. They can either contact each other or be spaced apart. When they are spaced apart, as the elastic member 10f further releases its elastic force, they can contact each other. Finally, the actuating member 154 reaches the locked position, and the ink cartridge 100 is locked. At this time, the protrusion 136 can be located either at the first end 157a or in the first channel 157c.

[0241] When the ink cartridge 100 needs to be removed from the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the user pushes the ink cartridge 100 forward again. The actuating member 154 will move forward relative to the protrusion 136 along with the cartridge body 11. At this time, the protrusion 136 will first move towards the position located at the third end 157d, and then move towards the position located at the second end 157b. The actuating member 154 moves upward. When the user stops pushing the ink cartridge 100 forward, under the elastic force released by the elastic member 10f, the ink cartridge 100 moves backward. At the same time, the actuating member 154 will move backward relative to the protrusion 136 along with the cartridge body 11. At this time, the protrusion 136 will move from the position located at the second end 157b to the position located at the third end 157d, as shown in Figure 57E. When the protrusion 136 is located at the third end 157d... At time d, the actuator 154 reaches the uppermost position. In the front-back direction, the action surface 1522 does not overlap with the locking surface 10d2. In the up-down direction, the actuator 154 is located above the guide surface 10d1. That is to say, the actuator 154 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position. As the ink cartridge 100 continues to move backward, the elastic force released by the spring 14 keeps the blocked surface 1321 in contact with the blocking surface 10d4. The control lever 13 will not move backward with the cartridge body 11. The actuator 154 can remain at the uppermost position, and the ink cartridge 100 can be smoothly removed from the ink cartridge mounting part 10, as shown in Figure 57F. Under the action of the actuator 154's own gravity, the actuator 154 moves again relative to the protrusion 136, and the protrusion 136 is once again located at the position of the first end 157a.

[0242] According to the inventive concept of this embodiment, during the process of removing the ink cartridge 100 from the ink cartridge mounting part 10, the abutting state maintained between the blocked surface 1321 and the blocking surface 10d4 will terminate when the stroke of the cartridge body 11 moving backward is greater than the stroke of the spring 14 when it recovers from the elastically deformed state to its natural state. In other words, as long as the blocked surface 1321 and the blocking surface 10d4 maintain the abutting state before the actuating member 154 reaches directly above the guide surface 10d1, the actuating member 154 can move to the uppermost end in the spacer part 10e through the cooperation of the protrusion 136 and the moving path 157, or the actuating member 154 can move to a position that does not overlap with the locking surface 10d2 before reaching directly above the guide surface 10d1. Thus, the ink cartridge 100 can be removed without being obstructed by the guide member 10d.

[0243] "Directly above" means that at least a portion of the projection of the action element 154 / action surface 1522 in the vertical direction overlaps with the projection of the guide surface 10d1 in the vertical direction.

[0244] In some embodiments, the extension direction of the second channel 157f is parallel to the front-back direction, so that the third end 157d will be flush with the second end 157b in the vertical direction. Therefore, among the first end 157a, the second end 157b and the third end 157d, the first end 157a is the highest in the vertical direction, and the second end 157b and the third end 157d are flush. In the front-back direction, the first end 157a, the third end 157d and the second end 157b are arranged sequentially.

[0245] In some embodiments, the extension direction of the second channel 157f is also inclined relative to the front-back direction. Thus, in the vertical direction, the third end 157d will be lower than the second end 157b. Therefore, among the first end 157a, the second end 157b, and the third end 157d, in the vertical direction, the first end 157a, the second end 157b, and the third end 157d are arranged sequentially, and in the front-back direction, the first end 157a, the third end 157d, and the second end 157b are arranged sequentially. In this embodiment, the inclined second channel 157f causes the protrusion 136 to shift from a position located at the second end 157b to a protruding position. The time required for part 136 to be located at the third end 157d is extended, which can prevent the actuating member 154 from moving backward too quickly with the cartridge 11, or the spring force released by the spring 14 from causing the control lever 13 to move forward relative to the actuating member 154 (i.e., the control lever 13 to reset) too quickly. This would result in the actuating member 154 not reaching a position higher than the guide surface 10d1, or in other words, the actuating surface 1522 reaching a position opposite to the locking surface 10d2 in the vertical direction before the actuating member 154 reaches the uppermost end. At this time, the actuating surface 1522 will abut against the locking surface 10d2 again, thereby causing the removal of the ink cartridge 100 to be stuck or fail to be removed.

[0246] Accordingly, the inclined second channel 157f can be regarded as a delaying element in the locking mechanism 12. This delaying element is used to reduce the backward speed of the control lever 13 and delay the backward movement of the control lever 13. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG55, a second protrusion 137 can also be provided on the control lever 13. At the same time, an interference part 11h that interferes with the second protrusion 137 is provided in the guide mating part 11j / 11k that is used to cooperate with the guide mating part 13a. By utilizing the interference between the second protrusion 137 and the interference part 11h, the backward movement of the control lever 13 can also be delayed. The second protrusion 137 and the interference part 11h can also be regarded as a delaying element. The number of the second protrusion 137 and the number of the interference part 11h are both provided at least one. Preferably, at least one interference part 11h is provided in each of the guide mating parts 11j / 11k.

[0247] In some embodiments, the housing 11 further includes a receiving frame 11e for accommodating at least a portion of the rod 130. The receiving frame 11e may be disposed on either the first housing 111 or the second housing 112 to facilitate the manufacture of molds for producing the first housing 111 and the second housing 112.

[0248] Based on the inventive concept of this embodiment, the positions of the protrusion 136 and the active path 157 can also be interchanged. Therefore, the protrusion 136 can be regarded as a control part provided in the locking mechanism 12, and the active path 157 can be regarded as a controlled part provided in the actuating member 154. Through the cooperation of the control part 136 and the controlled part 157, the actuating member 154 can switch between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0249] Example 13

[0250] Based on Embodiment 9, this embodiment further improves the structure of the locking mechanism 12. Structures identical to those in the above embodiments will not be described again. This embodiment focuses on describing the differences from Embodiment 9, as follows.

[0251] As shown in Figures 58-62, 63A and 63B, the locking mechanism 12 in this embodiment also includes a control lever 13, a spring 14, a ratchet 15 and an actuating element 154. The ratchet 15 is rotatably mounted on the housing 11 and is configured to be driven by the control lever 13. When the ratchet 15 rotates, the actuating element 154 can move between the locked position and the unlocked position. Therefore, the actuating element 154 in this embodiment can be regarded as the aforementioned locking element.

[0252] Furthermore, multiple active parts 1512 are arranged at intervals along the rotation direction of the ratchet 15. Preferably, the multiple active parts 1512 are arranged at equal intervals / equal angles along the rotation direction of the ratchet 15. For example, four active parts 1512 are evenly spaced along the rotation direction of the ratchet 15.

[0253] Furthermore, the driven part 1544 includes a first clearance part 15441, a force receiving part 15442, and a second clearance part 15443. In the vertical direction, the first clearance part 15441 and the second clearance part 15443 are recessed upward from the force receiving part 15442. The force receiving part 15442 is used to abut against the driving part 1512 and is pushed by the driving part 1512 to make the actuating member 154 move upward in the vertical direction. The first clearance part 15441 and the second clearance part 15443 are used to avoid and accommodate the driving part 1512 so that the actuating member 154 can move downward in the vertical direction.

[0254] Furthermore, along the front-back direction, the first avoidance part 15441 and the second avoidance part 15443 are located on the front and rear sides of the force-bearing part 15442, respectively. For example, along the front-back direction, the first avoidance part 15441 is located behind the second avoidance part 15443.

[0255] In some embodiments, the first clearance portion 15441 has a first guide surface 15441a, the second clearance portion 15443 has a second guide surface 15443a, and the force-receiving portion 15442 connects the first guide surface 15441a and the second guide surface 15443a. In the front-back direction, the first guide surface 15441a, the force-receiving portion 15442 and the second guide surface 15443a are arranged sequentially from back to front. In the up-down direction, the force-receiving portion 15442 is located below the first guide surface 15441a and the second guide surface 15443a.

[0256] In some embodiments, the force-receiving part 15442 has a first force-receiving surface 15442a, which connects to a first guide surface 15441a and a second guide surface 15443a. In the front-back direction, the first guide surface 15441a, the first force-receiving surface 15442a, and the second guide surface 15443a are arranged sequentially from back to front. In the up-down direction, the first force-receiving surface 15442a is located below the first guide surface 15441a and the second guide surface 15443a.

[0257] In some embodiments, the first guide surface 15441a and the second guide surface 15443a are configured as inclined surfaces, with the first guide surface 15441a inclined in the direction of downward rearward and the second guide surface 15443a inclined in the direction of downward frontward.

[0258] In some embodiments, the first guide surface 15441a and the second guide surface 15443a are configured as inclined surfaces, and the first force-bearing surface 15442a is parallel to the front-back direction. Specifically, along the up-down direction, the distance between the first guide surface 15441a and the first force-bearing surface 15442a gradually decreases from back to front, and the distance between the second guide surface 15443a and the first force-bearing surface 15442a gradually increases from back to front.

[0259] In some embodiments, the first guide surface 15441a and the second guide surface 15443a can also be directly connected, in which case the force-bearing part 15442 is formed as a point or a line.

[0260] Furthermore, the guide mechanism 156 is disposed on the housing 11. Specifically, as shown in Figure 61A, the guide mechanism 156 is provided with a first guide surface 1561, a second guide surface 1563, and a guide space 1564 located between the first guide surface 1561 and the second guide surface 1563. The guide space 1564 is used to accommodate at least a portion of the actuating member 154. Through the first guide surface 1561 and the second guide surface 1563, the actuating member 154 and the guide mechanism 156 form a surface contact, which can further improve the movement stability of the actuating member 154. In the front-back direction, the first guide surface 1561 and the second guide surface 1563 are opposite to each other.

[0261] In some embodiments, the guide mechanism 12g is formed by an upwardly recessed box body 11.

[0262] Furthermore, the pawl 16 is disposed on the housing 11. For example, as shown in FIG61B, the pawl 16 is disposed on the first housing 111. In some embodiments, when the gap between the ratchet teeth (first actuating part 1511) on the ratchet 15 is large, the pawl 16 is relatively small relative to the gap between the ratchet teeth 1511. Therefore, within an allowable predetermined range, the ratchet 15 will rotate in the opposite direction of the direction indicated by r. When the ratchet teeth 1511 abut against the pawl 16, the ratchet 15 will no longer rotate.

[0263] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG62B, when the active part 1512 abuts against the force-receiving part 15442 / first force-receiving surface 15442a, the actuating member 154 / third actuating member 1541 moves upward relative to the housing 11 and retracts relative to the housing 11. When the control lever 13 moves backward relative to the housing 11 and forces the ratchet 15 and the active part 1512 to rotate in the direction indicated by r, the active part 1512, which abuts against the force-receiving part 15442 / first force-receiving surface 15442a, passes over the force-receiving part 15442 / first force-receiving surface 15442a and enters the second clearance part 15443. The actuating member 154 / third actuating member 1541 moves downward relative to the housing 11 and extends relative to the housing 11.

[0264] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG63B, when two adjacent active parts 1512 respectively enter at least partially into the first clearance part 15441 and the second clearance part 15443, the actuator 154 / third actuator 1541 moves downward relative to the housing 11 and extends relative to the housing 11. When the control lever 13 moves backward relative to the housing 11 and forces the ratchet 15 and the active part 1512 to rotate in the direction indicated by r, the upstream active part 1512 of the two adjacent active parts 1512, that is, the active part 1512 located in the first clearance part 15441, moves along the first guide surface 15441a to abut against the force receiving part 15442 / first force receiving surface 15442a, so that the actuator 154 / third actuator 1541 moves upward relative to the housing 11 and retracts relative to the housing 11.

[0265] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rack is omitted. Specifically, the front end of the control lever 13 is provided with a pushing part 1341, which is used to drive the ratchet 15 to rotate. Preferably, the front end of the control lever 13 is also provided with a third limiting part 1342. Along the front-back direction, the pushing part 1341 and the third limiting part 1342 are arranged sequentially from front to back. Furthermore, there is a gap space 1343 between the pushing part 1341 and the third limiting part 1342. The gap space 1343 is used to accommodate the first actuating part 1511 on the ratchet 15. Along the front-back direction, the pushing part 1341 is located in front of the blocked part 132, and the third limiting part 1342 is located between the pushing part 1341 and the blocked part 132.

[0266] In some embodiments, when the control lever 13 moves backward relative to the housing 11, the pushing part 1341 abuts against the first front surface 1511a of the first actuating part 1511 and drives the ratchet 15 to rotate in the direction indicated by r. When the control lever 13 is stationary relative to the housing 11, the third limiting part 1342 abuts against the first back surface 1511b of the first actuating part 1511 to prevent the ratchet 15 from rotating in the opposite direction indicated by r, which would cause the locking to fail.

[0267] In some embodiments, the pusher 1341 also has a fourth pusher surface 13411 facing the rear. When the control lever 13 is stationary relative to the cartridge 11 / ratchet 15, the fourth pusher surface 13411 is used to engage / abut against the first action part 1511 to prevent the first action part 1511 from rotating in the opposite direction to the direction shown by r, thereby avoiding the failure of the locking member 12 and causing the cartridge 100 to fail to lock.

[0268] In some embodiments, the third limiting part 1342 also has a limiting surface 13421 facing forward. When the control lever 13 is stationary relative to the cartridge 11 / ratchet 15, the limiting surface 13421 is used to engage / abut with the first actuating part 1511 to prevent the first actuating part 1511 from rotating in the direction shown by r, thereby further avoiding the failure of the locking member 12 and the resulting failure of the cartridge 100 to lock.

[0269] Compared to Embodiment 9, the guide mechanism 156 in this embodiment is a recessed portion formed in the housing 11, which reduces the number of parts and simplifies the structure, thereby reducing costs. In addition, the rack is eliminated and replaced by the push part 1341 and the third limiting part 1342, which simplifies the structure of the control rod 13 and reduces manufacturing difficulty.

[0270] Example 14

[0271] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment further optimizes the structure of the ink cartridge 100.

[0272] As shown in Figure 64, the locking mechanism 12 in this embodiment can be detachably installed onto the cartridge body 11 as a whole. In this way, the locking mechanism 12 can be pre-assembled, and there is no need to worry about the parts of the locking mechanism 12 falling off or missing during the assembly of the ink cartridge 100. Finally, the assembly speed and assembly accuracy of the ink cartridge 100 can be improved.

[0273] In some embodiments, the ink cartridge 100 also includes a cartridge upper limit portion 11s disposed on the upper surface 11c. During the installation of the ink cartridge 100, or when the ink cartridge 100 is fixed to the device / ink cartridge mounting portion 10, the cartridge upper limit portion 11s abuts against the inner wall of the device to prevent the ink cartridge 100 from shaking and to reduce the gap between the locking mechanism 12 and the ink cartridge mounting portion 10 in the vertical direction, so as to prevent the locking mechanism 12 from failing to stably fix the ink cartridge 100 in the device.

[0274] In some embodiments, the upper limit portion 11s of the cartridge body has an upper abutment surface 11s1 facing upward, and the upper abutment surface 11s1 is inclined relative to the vertical direction. Along the front to back direction, the distance between the upper abutment surface and the center line L of the ink outlet 118 gradually increases in the vertical direction.

[0275] In some embodiments, the ink receiving part 119 includes an ink storage cavity 119a and a deformable cavity 119b. The ink storage cavity 119a is used to store ink, and the deformable cavity 119b is disposed adjacent to the ink storage cavity 119a and is also connected to the air inlet 116. Therefore, at least a part of the deformable cavity 119b can be regarded as the inner wall of the ink storage cavity 119a. When the ink cartridge 100 reaches the predetermined position, the air pumping mechanism 10b pumps air into the deformable cavity 119b through the air inlet 116, the volume of the deformable cavity 119b increases, and correspondingly, the volume of the ink storage cavity 119a decreases, the pressure in the ink storage cavity 119a increases, and the ink in the ink storage cavity 119a is discharged towards the ink suction part 1 through the ink outlet 118.

[0276] In some embodiments, the ink storage cavity 119a includes a first cavity 119a1, a second cavity 119a2, and a third cavity 119a3 that are separated from each other. The housing 11 is also provided with an atmosphere connection port 117 for connecting the ink storage cavity 119a to the atmosphere. The first cavity 119a1 is connected to the atmosphere connection port 117, the second cavity 119a2 is connected to the first cavity 119a1 and the third cavity 119a3, and the third cavity 119a3 is connected to the ink outlet 118.

[0277] In some embodiments, the upper limit stop 11s and the atmospheric connection port 117 are both located above the ink 119 in the vertical direction. For example, the upper limit stop 11s protrudes upward from the upper surface 11c, and the atmospheric connection port 117 is disposed on the upper surface 11c and passes through the upper surface 11c. In this configuration, when the ink cartridge 100 is dropped, the upper limit stop 11s will contact the impact surface before the atmospheric connection port 117, thereby protecting the atmospheric connection port 117.

[0278] In some embodiments, the ink cartridge 100 also includes a seal (not shown) for sealing the atmospheric vent 117. The seal is generally a sealing film. Before the ink cartridge 100 is used, or during the production and transportation of the ink cartridge 100, if the ink cartridge 100 is dropped, the upper limit portion 11s can protect the sealing film to prevent it from being punctured or damaged, thus affecting the sealing performance of the ink cartridge 100.

[0279] In some embodiments, the atmospheric connection 117 is located behind the upper limit position 11s in the front-back direction. During the installation of the ink cartridge 100, since the aforementioned seal has been removed, the upper limit position 11s can clean up any foreign objects that may enter the atmospheric connection 117. This effect is particularly noticeable when at least a portion of the atmospheric connection 117 coincides with the upper limit position 11s in the front-back direction.

[0280] In some embodiments, the ink cartridge 100 further includes a differential pressure valve assembly 8, which is disposed between the second cavity 119a2 and the third cavity 119a3, and is used to open or close according to the pressure difference between the second cavity 119a2 and the third cavity 119a3. When the differential pressure valve assembly 8 is open, the second cavity 119a2 and the third cavity 119a3 are connected, and when the differential pressure valve assembly 8 is closed, the second cavity 119a2 and the third cavity 119a3 are disconnected.

[0281] In some embodiments, the first housing 111 includes a first body 1111 and a first extension 1112 connected to each other, and the second housing 112 includes a second body 1121 and a second extension 1122 connected to each other. In the vertical direction, the first extension 1112 is located below the first body 1111, and the second extension 1122 is located below the second body 1121. In the horizontal direction, the first body 1111 and the second body 1121 are opposite to each other, and the first extension 1112 and the second extension 1122 are opposite to each other. An ink receiving cavity 119 is located between the first body 1111 and the second body 1121. A receiving frame 11e is formed between the first extension 1112 and the second extension 1122. The locking mechanism 12 is received by the receiving frame 11e. The receiving frame 11e is configured to form at least one opening to the downward, left, and right.

[0282] In some embodiments, the extension groove 11d communicates with the receiving frame 11e, and at least a portion of the extension groove 11d is located in front of the receiving frame 11e in the front-back direction.

[0283] [Lockdown Agency]

[0284] As shown in Figures 65 and 66, in addition to the control lever 13, spring 14, ratchet 15 and pawl 16, the locking mechanism 12 also includes a protective component for at least accommodating the ratchet 15, or in other words, the protective component is used to at least protect the ratchet 15; preferably, at least a part of the control lever 13, spring 14, ratchet 15 and pawl 16 are all disposed in the protective component, and finally, the locking mechanism 12 is formed into a whole through the protective component.

[0285] In some embodiments, the protective assembly includes a first protective member 121 and a second protective member 122 formed separately, wherein a guide space 1564 and a guide cavity 123 are formed between the first protective member 121 and the second protective member 122, at least the ratchet 15 is located in the guide space 1564, and at least a portion of the control lever 13 is accommodated in the guide cavity 123. It can be seen that at least a portion of the lever body 130 can still be indirectly accommodated by the receiving frame 11e.

[0286] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the locking force member 155 and at least a portion of the actuating member 154 protrude from the protective assembly before the locking mechanism 12 is installed to the housing 11 / receiving frame 11e.

[0287] In some embodiments, before the locking mechanism 12 is installed into the housing 11 / receiving frame 11e, all of the locking force member 155 and / or all of the actuating member 154 are located in the protective assembly, and at least a portion of the locking force member 155 and at least a portion of the actuating member 154 protrude from the protective assembly during the installation of the locking mechanism 12 toward the housing 11, or during the installation of the locking mechanism 12 toward the device along with the housing 11.

[0288] Overall, the protective assembly includes a middle part 1203 and a front part 1201 and a rear part 1202 located on both sides of the middle part 1203. At least one of the front part 1201 and the rear part 1202 can serve as an overall positioning component for the locking mechanism 12 / protective assembly, used to position the locking mechanism 12 / protective assembly in the housing 11.

[0289] In some embodiments, the highest point of the front part 1201 and the highest point of the rear part 1202 are staggered along the vertical direction.

[0290] In some embodiments, the middle part 1203, the front part 1201 and the rear part 1202 are each divided into two parts, one part being located on the first protective member 121 and the other part being located on the second protective member 122.

[0291] The first protective element 121 includes a first protective body 1211 and a first front extension 1212 and a first rear extension 1213 connected to the first protective body 1211. In the front-rear direction, the first front extension 1212 is located in front of the first protective body 1211, and the first rear extension 1213 is located behind the first protective body 1211.

[0292] The second protective element 122 includes a second protective body 1221 and a second front extension 1222 and a second rear extension 1223 connected to the second protective body 1221. In the front-rear direction, the second front extension 1222 is located in front of the second protective body 1221, and the second rear extension 1223 is located behind the second protective body 1221.

[0293] The guide space 1564 is located between the first protective body 1211 and the second protective body 1221. The guide cavity 123 is located between the first rear extension 1213 and the second rear extension 1223. The middle part 1203 includes the first protective body 1211 and the second protective body 1221. The front part 1201 includes the first front extension 1212 and the second front extension 1222. The rear part 1202 includes the first rear extension 1213 and the second rear extension 1223. The pawl 16 can be set in either the first protective member 121 or the second protective member 122. As shown in FIG65, the pawl 16 is set in the first protective member 121. More specifically, the pawl 16 is set in the first protective body 121 in the form of a cantilever.

[0294] In some embodiments, the pawl 16 may also be provided on the housing 11.

[0295] In some embodiments, the protective component is further provided with at least one restricted portion, and correspondingly, the housing 11 is provided with a restricting portion for cooperating with the restricted portion, so that the locking mechanism 12 is restricted / fixed in the receiving frame 11e by the protective component. Preferably, both the first protective member 121 and the second protective member 122 are provided with at least one restricted portion, which will be described below as an example.

[0296] The first protective member 121 includes a first main restricted part 1210 and at least one side restricted part. The first main restricted part 1210 is disposed on the first protective body 1211, and the side restricted part is disposed on the first rear extension 1213, as shown in Figures 65 and 66. The first rear extension 1213 is provided with a first side restricted part 1215, a second side restricted part 1216 and a third side restricted part 1217. In the vertical direction, the third side restricted part 1217 is higher than the first side restricted part 1215 and the second side restricted part 1216. When viewed in the horizontal direction, at least a portion of the first main restricted part 1210 coincides with the locking force-applying member 155. In this way, the first main restricted part can effectively overcome the elastic force generated by the elastic deformation of the locking force-applying member 155, and the locking mechanism 12 can work more stably, and the ink cartridge 100 can be locked more stably.

[0297] In some embodiments, when viewed in the left-right direction, at least a portion of the first primary restricted portion 1210 also coincides with the ratchet 15 to improve the reliability of the rotation of the ratchet 15.

[0298] In some embodiments, the blocked portion 132 is located between the first side restricted portion 1215 and the second side restricted portion 1216 in the front-back direction, so that the ink cartridge 100 can still remain stable when the blocked portion 132 abuts against the guide member 10d.

[0299] In some embodiments, the first protective member 121 further includes a first side protrusion 1214 connected to the first protective body 1211. The first side protrusion 1214 is used to cooperate with the housing 11 so that the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 are positioned relative to each other, and the locking mechanism 12 is also positioned in the housing 11.

[0300] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the ratchet 15 coincides with the first side protrusion 1214 in the left-right direction, a design that allows the ratchet 15 to rotate more stably.

[0301] The second protective member 122 includes a second restricted portion 1220 and at least one side restricted portion, wherein the second main restricted portion 1220 is disposed on the second protective body 1221, and the side restricted portion is disposed on the second rear extension 1223, as shown in FIG65. The second rear extension 1223 is provided with a fourth side restricted portion 1226 and a fifth side restricted portion 1227. Preferably, at least the fourth side restricted portion 1226 and the second side restricted portion 1216 are opposite to each other to improve the installation stability of the locking mechanism 12.

[0302] In some embodiments, the protective assembly further includes an exposure hole 1228 for allowing the blocked portion 132 to be exposed. The exposure hole 1228 may be entirely provided on the first protective member 121 or the second protective member 122, or a portion of the exposure hole 1228 may be provided on the first protective member 121 and another portion may be provided on the second protective member 122, and the exposure hole 1228 may be open at least downward to allow the blocked portion 132 to extend downward.

[0303] In some embodiments, the protective component is further provided with the mating part 11j, and the rod body 130 is provided with a guide mating part 13a for mating with the mating part. Similarly, the mating part 11j can be entirely provided on the first protective member 121 or the second protective member 122, or a part of the mating part 11j can be provided on the first protective member 121 and another part can be provided on the second protective member 122.

[0304] In some embodiments, the mating portion 11j is in communication with the guide cavity 123, or the mating portion 11j is formed as part of the guide cavity 123.

[0305] In some embodiments, the second protective member 122 further includes a second side protrusion 1224 connected to the second protective body 1221. The second side protrusion 1224 is used to cooperate with the housing 11 so that the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 are positioned relative to each other, and the locking mechanism 12 is also positioned in the housing 11.

[0306] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the ratchet 15 coincides with the second side protrusion 1224 in the left-right direction, a design that enables the ratchet 15 to rotate more stably; preferably, the first side protrusion 1214 and the second side protrusion 1224 are symmetrically arranged in the left-right direction.

[0307] Accordingly, from an overall perspective, the first side protrusion 1214 and the second side protrusion 1224 can be considered as being formed by protruding from the middle portion 1203 respectively; preferably, the first side protrusion 1214 and the second side protrusion 1224 are symmetrically arranged in the left-right direction.

[0308] The first protective member 121 and the second protective member 122 can be configured to combine in the left-right direction to form a protective component, or they can be configured to combine in the up-down direction to form a protective component, or they can combine in the front-back direction to form a protective component. However, the technical solution described in this embodiment is applicable no matter how the first protective member 121 and the second protective member 122 are combined to form a protective component. Figure 65 shows an example of the first protective member 121 and the second protective member 122 combining in the left-right direction to form a protective component.

[0309] [First shell and second shell]

[0310] As shown in FIG68, the first housing 111 further includes a first main limiting part 1118 disposed in the first extension 1112 and at least one first housing side limiting part. The first main limiting part 1118 is used to cooperate with the first main restricted part 1210, and the first housing side limiting part is used to cooperate with the restricted part disposed in the first protective member 121. As shown in FIG67, the second housing 112 further includes a second main limiting part 1128 disposed in the second extension 1122 and at least one second housing side limiting part. The second main limiting part 1128 is used to cooperate with the second main restricted part 1220, and the second housing side limiting part is used to cooperate with the restricted part disposed in the second protective member 122. Finally, the locking mechanism 12 can be stably positioned between the first housing 111 and the second housing 121, or in other words, the locking mechanism 12 can be stably positioned in the receiving frame 11e.

[0311] In the first housing 111, the first housing side restriction portion includes a first restriction portion 1115, a second restriction portion 1116 and a third restriction portion 1117, wherein the first restriction portion 1115 matches the first side restricted portion 1215, the second restriction portion 1116 matches the second side restricted portion 1216, and the third restriction portion 1117 matches the third side restricted portion 1217.

[0312] In the second housing 112, the second housing side restriction portion includes a fourth restriction portion 1126 and a fifth restriction portion 1127, wherein the fourth restriction portion 1126 matches the fourth side restricted portion 1226, and the fifth restriction portion 1127 matches the fifth side restricted portion 1227.

[0313] In some embodiments, the first housing 111 further includes a first side receiving portion 1119 at least disposed in the first extension 1112, and the second housing 112 further includes a second side receiving portion 1129 at least disposed in the second extension 1122. The first side receiving portion 1119 is used to receive the first side protrusion 1214, and the second side receiving portion 1129 is used to receive the second side protrusion 1224. The first side receiving portion 1119 can be formed as a through hole in the left-right direction or as a groove that is not open on the side opposite to the ink receiving portion 119. Similarly, the second side receiving portion 1129 can be formed as a through hole in the left-right direction or as a groove that is not open on the side opposite to the ink receiving portion 119.

[0314] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first main limiting portion 1118 is opposite to the first side receiving portion 1119 in the vertical direction, and at least a portion of the second main limiting portion 1128 is opposite to the second side receiving portion 1129.

[0315] As shown in Figure 67, the second housing 112 also includes a lower side plate 1123 located below the ink receiving cavity 119. Along the vertical direction, the lower side plate 1123 has an upper lower surface 1123a facing upward and a lower lower surface 1123b facing downward. The upper lower surface 1123a and the lower lower surface 1123b are arranged opposite to each other. The lower side plate 1123, the first extension 1112 and the second extension 1122 enclose and form a receiving frame 11e. Therefore, the lower lower surface 1123b faces the receiving frame 11e. The upper upper surface 1123a can either directly face the ink receiving cavity 119, or a partition can be provided between the upper upper surface 1123a and the ink receiving cavity 119. In this case, the upper upper surface 1123a indirectly faces the ink receiving cavity 119.

[0316] The first housing 111 also includes an intermediate limiting portion 111e extending from the first body 1111 toward the ink receiving cavity 119. When the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 are combined, the intermediate limiting portion 111e reaches above the upper surface 1123a. Through the contact between the intermediate limiting portion 111e and the upper surface 1123a, the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 can be positioned relative to each other. Preferably, in the vertical direction, at least a portion of the intermediate limiting portion 111e coincides with the first side receiving portion 1119.

[0317] Furthermore, the first housing 111 also includes at least one end limiting portion disposed on the first body 1111. Correspondingly, the second housing 112 also includes end limiting portions for cooperating with the corner limiting portions. As shown in FIG68, the first end limiting portion 111a, the second end limiting portion 111b, the third end limiting portion 111c and the fourth end limiting portion 111d are disposed at intervals around the intermediate limiting portion 111e.

[0318] Along the front-to-back direction, the first end limiting part 111a and the second end limiting part 111b are spaced apart, and the third end limiting part 111c and the fourth end limiting part 111d are spaced apart. The first end limiting part 111a and the second end limiting part 111b are located on both sides of the middle limiting part 111e, and the third end limiting part 111c and the fourth end limiting part 111d are located on both sides of the middle limiting part 111e. Along the up-down direction, the first end limiting part 111a and the fourth end limiting part 111d are spaced apart, and the second end limiting part 111b and the third end limiting part 111c are spaced apart. The first end limiting part 111a and the fourth end limiting part 111d are located on both sides of the middle limiting part 111e, and the second end limiting part 111b and the third end limiting part 111c are located on both sides of the middle limiting part 111e.

[0319] In some embodiments, the end limiting portion and the end-limited portion are configured as keyway fits, as shown in FIG67. The end limiting portion is configured as a protrusion extending from the first body 1111 toward the ink receiving cavity 119, and correspondingly, the limited portion is configured as a groove, or in other words, the limited portion is formed as part of the ink receiving cavity 119.

[0320] In some embodiments, at least one end limiting portion is configured as an L-shape, and when the end limiting portion engages with the end-limited portion, the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 can be positioned simultaneously in two directions.

[0321] In some embodiments, the first housing 111 further includes a reinforcing portion 1113 disposed on the first extension 1112. Before the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 are combined, the strength of the first housing 111 can be strengthened. After the first housing 111 and the second housing 1112 are combined, the strength of the housing 11 can also be enhanced by the reinforcing portion 1113 abutting against the second extension 1122. It is possible that the reinforcing portion 1113 can be a protrusion disposed on the first extension 1112 or a groove disposed on the first extension 1112. This embodiment focuses on describing the reinforcing portion 1113 as a protrusion.

[0322] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG68, the first housing 111 further includes an insertion portion 1114 connected to the reinforcing portion 1113. As shown in FIG67, the second housing 112 further includes an insertion portion 1124 for cooperating with the insertion portion 1114. In practice, the insertion portion 1124 can be configured as either a hole or a groove.

[0323] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG68, the spring abutment portion 11i is provided on the reinforcing portion 1113. In this case, a forming hole 111g is also provided in the first extension portion 1112, so that when the first housing 111 is produced by the mold, the spring abutment portion 11i is easily formed, or in other words, the mold for producing the first housing 111 is easily demolded.

[0324] As described above, when air is pumped into the deformable cavity 119b, the volume of the deformable cavity 119b increases. Therefore, the ink cartridge 100 also needs to provide a component to reduce the volume of the deformable cavity 119b. Generally, the ink cartridge 100 increases the volume of the deformable cavity 119b by providing a deformable element (e.g., a flexible film) in the deformable cavity 119b. At the same time, a reset element that abuts against the deformable element is also provided. When the volume of the deformable cavity increases, the deformable element abuts against the reset element, and the reset force generated by the reset element forces the volume of the deformable cavity 119b to decrease. For example, the reset element is provided as an elastic element, a magnetic element, etc.

[0325] As shown in Figure 68, the first housing 111 also includes a reset member positioning part 111f disposed on the first main body 1111. The reset member is positioned by the reset member positioning part 111f. In the housing 11, the reset member positioning part 111f is opposite to the deformable cavity 119b in the left-right direction.

[0326] In some embodiments, the first housing 111 further includes a first lower protrusion 11d3 connected to the first extension 1112, and the second housing 112 further includes a second lower protrusion 11d4 connected to the second extension 1122. The second lower protrusion 11d4 is spaced apart from the lower side plate 1123 in the vertical direction. When the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 are combined, the extension groove 11d1 is formed between the first lower protrusion 11d3 and the lower side plate 1123 and between the second lower protrusion 11d4 and the lower side plate 1123. When the extension groove 11d1 needs to be exposed downward, the first lower protrusion 11d3 and the second lower protrusion 11d4 are spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction.

[0327] In some embodiments, the first lower protrusion 11d3 and the second lower protrusion 11d4 may also be integrally formed on the first housing 111 or integrally formed on the second housing 112.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge for supplying ink to an inkjet printer, wherein the ink cartridge is installed into the ink cartridge mounting section of the inkjet printer in a forward direction and removed from the inkjet printer in a rearward direction, characterized in that... The ink cartridge includes: The cartridge is used to hold the ink. The locking mechanism has an engagement portion movably disposed relative to the housing, the engagement portion being configured to move between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein in the unlocked position the engagement portion does not abut against a forward-facing surface in the inkjet printer, and in the locked position the engagement portion abuts against a forward-facing surface in the inkjet printer.

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cartridge mounting section is provided with a movable latch structure. In the locked position, the engagement part abuts against the front surface of the latch structure.

3. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, characterized in that, The joint is rotatably disposed relative to the box body.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that, The locking mechanism also includes: A control lever, at least partially extending its end out of the housing to form a pressing part, and the control lever is provided with a rack; A spring is used to apply a biasing force to the control lever to force it to return to its original position. A ratchet is rotatably mounted on the housing, and the engagement portion is mounted on the ratchet; A pawl is rotatably mounted on the housing; During the installation of the ink cartridge, the pressing part is pressed, the control lever drives the rack to move, the rack drives the ratchet to rotate, so that the engagement part rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position, the pawl abuts against the ratchet, and the ink cartridge is locked in the ink cartridge mounting part.

5. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control lever extends backward outside the box, or the control lever extends forward outside the box; When the control lever extends forward outside the cartridge body, the pressing part abuts against the inner wall of the cartridge mounting part during the cartridge installation process.

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, characterized in that, The joint moves relative to the box body in the vertical direction.

7. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cartridge mounting section is also equipped with a latching structure, connecting components, and guides; The latch structure is connected to the connecting member and can rotate as the connecting member rotates; A gap is also formed between the guide and the connecting member, and the guide has a locking surface facing forward; The joint also has a working surface. When the joint is in the locked position, the joint enters the spacer and the working surface abuts against the locking surface.

8. The ink cartridge according to claim 7, characterized in that, The joint is rotatably disposed relative to the box body.

9. The ink cartridge according to claim 8, characterized in that, The guide also has a rearward-facing blocking surface, and the locking mechanism includes: A control lever includes a lever body and a blocking portion and a rack connected to the lever body. The blocking portion has a blocking surface for abutting against a blocking surface. By abutting against the blocking surface, the range of motion of the control lever is limited. A spring is used to apply an elastic force to the control lever to force it to return to its original position. A ratchet is configured to follow the movement of the housing in the front-back direction and is rotatably disposed relative to the housing, and the engagement portion is disposed on the ratchet; A pawl, protruding from the box body; During the installation of the ink cartridge, the connecting part moves forward with the cartridge body, the blocking surface abuts against the blocked surface, the rack drives the ratchet to rotate, causing the connecting part to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position, the pawl abuts against the ratchet, and the ink cartridge is locked in the ink cartridge mounting part.

10. The ink cartridge according to claim 7, characterized in that, The joint moves relative to the box body in the vertical direction.

11. The ink cartridge according to claim 10, characterized in that, The guide also has a rearward-facing blocking surface, and the locking mechanism includes: Control lever; A ratchet is rotatably mounted on the housing and is configured to be driven by a control lever; A pawl, protruding from the box body; An actuating member is provided with the engagement portion, and the actuating member is configured to move relative to the housing between a locked position and an unlocked position. When a driving force is received from a ratchet, the actuating member moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.

12. The ink cartridge according to claim 11, characterized in that, At least a portion of the actuating element is in a higher position when it is in the unlocked position than at least a portion of the actuating element is in the locked position.

13. The ink cartridge according to claim 11, characterized in that, The locking mechanism also includes a locking force member for pushing the actuating member toward the locking position.

14. The ink cartridge according to claim 10, characterized in that, The guide also has a rearward-facing blocking surface, and the locking mechanism includes: Control lever; An actuating element, having the engagement portion, is configured to be driven by the control lever to move relative to the housing between a locked position and an unlocked position.

15. The ink cartridge according to claim 10, characterized in that, Locking mechanisms include: An actuating element is used to fix the ink cartridge, and the actuating element is configured to move in the vertical direction; The control lever is configured to move in the forward and backward direction to force the actuator to move in the up and down direction; A ratchet, rotatably arranged relative to the housing, is used to force the actuator to move in the vertical direction and is configured to be driven by a control lever; A protective component, at least for housing the ratchet, through which the locking mechanism is formed as a whole and is detachably mounted to the housing.

16. An ink cartridge for supplying ink to an inkjet printer, characterized in that, The ink cartridge includes: The cartridge is used to hold the ink. The locking mechanism has an engagement portion movably disposed relative to the cartridge body, the engagement portion being configured to move between an unlocked position and a locked position. In the unlocked position, the engagement portion does not abut against the inkjet printing device and the cartridge is not locked in the inkjet printing device. In the locked position, the engagement portion abuts against the inkjet printing device and the cartridge is locked in the inkjet printing device.

17. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1-16, characterized in that, The locking mechanism also includes a spacer disposed on the blocked part. When the ink cartridge is locked, the spacer is located between the blocked surface and the blocking surface to provide space for the control lever to move forward.

18. The ink cartridge according to claim 17, characterized in that, The spacer is elastic.

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