CN113147187B

CN113147187B - ink cartridge

Info

Publication number: CN113147187B
Application number: CN202110486481.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 夏敬章; 李正涛
Original assignee: Zhuhai Ninestar Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Zhuhai Ninestar Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-04-30
Filing date: 2021-04-30
Publication date: 2025-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 2041-04-30
Also published as: CN113147187A; CN115848023B; CN115848023A

Abstract

The invention provides an ink box which is applied to a printer and comprises an ink box body and a connecting assembly, wherein the connecting assembly is used for detachably connecting the ink box body to the printer, the ink box body is used for storing ink, a liquid level detection part used for detecting the residual ink is arranged on the ink box body, the printer is provided with a mounting part, the ink box body can extend into or extend out of the mounting part along the dismounting direction, and the connecting assembly and the liquid level detection part are both positioned at the same end of the ink box body along the maximum dimension direction. The liquid level detection part of the ink box has smaller shaking amplitude and higher detection precision of the ink allowance.

Description

Ink cartridge

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of printers, in particular to an ink box.

Background

Printers are commonly used office appliances for ejecting ink on paper to form preset characters, images, and the like.

The printer comprises an ink box, the printer is provided with a mounting part for accommodating the ink box, the ink box is fixedly connected with the mounting part through a connecting component, and ink in the ink box can be led into the printer to realize a printing task. Wherein, be equipped with liquid level detection portion on the ink horn for detect the ink surplus in the ink horn, and liquid level detection portion sets up the position that is relative with the tank bottom wall of installation department in the ink horn generally.

Wherein, in order to facilitate the user to disassemble and assemble the ink cartridge, the connecting component is usually arranged at the opening position of the mounting part. Therefore, when the printer shakes, the ink box can shake relative to the body by taking the connecting component as a fulcrum, the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection part is large, and the detection precision of the ink allowance is poor.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, embodiments of the present invention provide an ink cartridge, in which a shake width of a liquid level detecting portion of the ink cartridge is small, and a detection accuracy of an ink remaining amount is high.

In order to achieve the above object, the embodiment of the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

The embodiment of the invention provides an ink box, which is applied to a printer and comprises an ink box body and a connecting component, wherein the connecting component is used for detachably connecting the ink box body to the printer, the ink box body is used for storing ink, a liquid level detection part for detecting the residual ink is arranged on the ink box body, the printer is provided with a mounting part, the ink box body can extend into or extend out of the mounting part along the dismounting direction, and the connecting component and the liquid level detection part are both positioned at the same end of the ink box body along the maximum dimension direction.

In some alternative embodiments, the size of the ink box body along the disassembly and assembly direction is larger than or equal to the circumferential cross-sectional size of the ink box body, the ink box body is provided with an end face and a circumferential wall face, the end face is positioned at the end part of the ink box body along the disassembly and assembly direction, the circumferential wall face is connected with the end face and positioned at the circumference of the ink box body, the liquid level detection part is positioned on the end face of the ink box body, and the connecting component is arranged on the end face of the ink box body or on one side, close to the end face, of the circumferential wall face.

In some alternative embodiments, the printer is provided with a contact pin, the ink box body is provided with a chip, the chip is arranged on the circumferential wall surface of the ink box body, the contact pin is electrically connected with the contact point of the chip when the ink box body is installed on the printer, the ink box is provided with a combining surface, the combining surface is formed by the ink box body and the printer through a connecting component, the combining surface and the surface of the contact point of the chip are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the ink box body, and the width direction is perpendicular to the dismounting direction.

In some alternative embodiments, the distance between the connecting component and the end face along the disassembly and assembly direction is smaller than the distance between the chip and the end face along the disassembly and assembly direction, and the distance between the connecting component and the liquid level detection part along the height direction is smaller than the distance between the chip and the liquid level detection part along the height direction.

In some alternative embodiments, the connecting component comprises a hook part and a hook groove, one of the hook part and the hook groove is arranged on the ink box body, the other one is arranged on the mounting part, the hook part can extend into the hook groove to clamp and fix the ink box in the mounting part, and when the ink box is clamped and fixed in the mounting part, a fit gap is formed between the ink box and the mounting part, so that the hook part is separated from the hook groove through relative movement between the ink box and the mounting part.

In some alternative embodiments, the hook portion is disposed on the ink cartridge body, the hook slot is disposed on the mounting portion, and the opening of the hook slot faces upward, and the hook portion can extend into the hook slot under the gravity action of the ink cartridge body.

In some alternative embodiments, the connecting component comprises a swinging rod, a sliding groove and a first elastic piece, wherein the first elastic piece is connected with one of the printer and the ink box body and can be compressed between the printer and the ink box body, the sliding groove is arranged on one of the printer and the ink box body, the other of the printer and the ink box body is rotationally connected with the swinging rod, the swinging rod is provided with a protruding sliding part, when the ink box body moves relative to the printer, the swinging rod can rotate around a rotating shaft of the swinging rod so that the sliding part moves relative to the sliding groove along the extending direction of the sliding groove, and when the ink box body is fixed relative to the printer, the sliding part is propped against the inner wall surface of the sliding groove under the elastic force of the first elastic piece.

In some alternative embodiments, the sliding groove comprises a leading-in section, a clamping section and a leading-out section, wherein the clamping section is communicated with the leading-in section and the leading-out section, when the ink box body stretches into the installation part, the swinging rod is opposite to the port of the leading-in section so that the sliding part can stretch into the leading-in section and move towards one side of the clamping section along the leading-in section, the clamping section is provided with a clamping wall surface, the clamping wall surface is bent towards one side of the swinging rod rotating shaft so as to accommodate the sliding part, the sliding part can be abutted with the clamping wall surface under the action of the elastic force of the first elastic piece, and when the sliding groove and the swinging rod move towards one side close to each other, the sliding part can slide out of the clamping section along the clamping wall surface and stretch out along the leading-out section under the action of the elastic force of the first elastic piece so that the ink box body and the printer are separated from each other.

In some alternative embodiments, the connecting assembly further comprises a second elastic piece, the second elastic piece is connected with the swing rod, the second elastic piece and the sliding piece are respectively positioned at two ends of the swing rod rotating shaft, and the swing rod extends towards the guiding-out section when the second elastic piece is in a natural state.

In some alternative embodiments, the number of the connection components is plural, the plural connection components are disposed on the end surface of the ink cartridge body and/or the side wall surface of the ink cartridge body, and the plural connection components are disposed at intervals along the circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body.

In some alternative embodiments, the printer is provided with a light detection member arranged in the mounting part, and the ink box is provided with a shielding component which shields detection light emitted by the light detection member when the ink box body is mounted on the printer so as to prompt that the ink box body is mounted in the mounting part.

In some alternative embodiments, the shielding assembly comprises a driving piece, a shielding piece and a third elastic piece, two ends of the third elastic piece are respectively connected with the shielding piece and the ink box body, a first clamping part is arranged on the driving piece, a second clamping part is arranged on the shielding piece, the first clamping part and the second clamping part are respectively arranged on one side of the driving piece and one side of the shielding piece, which face each other, of the ink box body, when the ink box body moves relative to the printer, the driving piece is abutted with the printer, and the shielding piece is driven to move towards one side, which is far away from the printer, of the ink box body through the abutting between the first clamping part and the second clamping part, a guide inclined surface is arranged on the first clamping part, the second clamping part can move towards one side, which is far away from the driving piece, of the first clamping part and the second clamping part are mutually separated, and the shielding piece can stretch out under the elastic force of the third elastic piece and shield detection light rays emitted by the light detection piece.

Compared with the prior art, the ink box provided by the embodiment of the invention has the advantages that the ink box comprises the ink box body and the connecting component, the ink box body is used for storing ink, and the ink box is connected with the printer, so that the ink can be conveyed into the printer to realize a printing task.

The printer is provided with a mounting part, and the ink box can be fixed in the mounting part through the connecting component. The ink box body is provided with an end face along the disassembly and assembly direction and a circumferential side wall face, the end face is positioned in the installation part after the ink box body is installed in the installation part, and the side wall face is opposite to the inner wall face of the installation part. Namely, the other wall surface of the ink box body opposite to the end surface is exposed at the opening position of the mounting part, and the appearance of the printer is relatively simple.

The ink box body is provided with a liquid level detection part, a liquid level detection piece is correspondingly arranged on the printer, the ink residue is detected through detection light emitted by the liquid level detection piece, and the liquid level detection part is arranged on the end face of the ink box body. The connecting component is arranged at the position of the outer wall surface of the ink box body, which is close to the liquid level detection part, so that the distance between the connecting component and the liquid level detection part is smaller. Even the ink horn body rocks for the printer takes place, and the ink horn is whole to rock as the fulcrum with coupling assembling, and because the interval between liquid level detection portion and the coupling assembling is less, liquid level detection portion is less for coupling assembling's the range of rocking, and the detection accuracy of ink surplus is higher.

In addition to the technical problems, technical features constituting the technical solutions, and beneficial effects caused by the technical features of the technical solutions described above, other technical problems that can be solved by the ink cartridge provided in the embodiments of the present invention, other technical features included in the technical solutions, and beneficial effects caused by the technical features of the technical solutions described above, further detailed description will be made in the detailed description of the embodiments.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions of the prior art, the following description will briefly explain the drawings used in the embodiments or the description of the prior art, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, and other drawings can be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort for a person skilled in the art.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the clip assembly of FIG. 1 including a hook portion and a hook slot;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the portion A in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the ink cartridge body of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the portion B in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an exploded view of the ink cartridge body of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the portion C in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a second schematic structural view of the ink cartridge body of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the portion D of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the latch assembly of FIG. 1 including a swing link, a slide and a chute;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the portion E of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the ink cartridge body of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the structure of the portion F in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of an exploded view of the ink cartridge body of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of an exploded view of the ink cartridge body of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the shield and driver of FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 is a second schematic structural view of the ink cartridge body of FIG. 11;

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of the portion G of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a schematic view of the sliding portion of the swing rod of FIG. 11 opposite to the guiding section of the sliding slot;

FIG. 21 is a schematic view of the sliding portion of the swing rod of FIG. 11 in the guiding section;

fig. 22 is a schematic structural view of the sliding portion of the swing rod in fig. 11 when being clamped with the clamping section;

fig. 23 is a schematic view of the sliding portion of the swing link of fig. 11 in the guide-out section.

Reference numerals:

10, a printer, 11, an installation part, 12, a push rod structure, 13, a clamping groove and 14, a vertical plate;

20 parts of ink box body, 21 parts of liquid level detection part, 221 parts of end face, 222 parts of top wall face, 223 parts of bottom wall face, 224 parts of side wall face, 225 parts of outer wall face, 23 parts of chip, 231 parts of contact, 24 parts of ink outlet, 25 parts of air inlet hole and 26 parts of holding piece;

30 parts of connecting components, 31 parts of swinging rods, 311 parts of sliding parts, 32 parts of sliding grooves, 321 parts of leading-in sections, 322 parts of clamping sections, 3221 parts of clamping wall surfaces, 323 parts of leading-out sections, 33 parts of second elastic pieces, 35 parts of clamping hook parts, 351 parts of avoiding gaps;

40, a shielding component, 41, a driving piece, 411, 42, 421, 43, 44 and 44, respectively;

X is the disassembly and assembly direction, Y is the width direction, Z is the height direction.

Detailed Description

In order to make the above objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more comprehensible, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent that the described embodiments are only some, but not all, embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the invention.

The ink box comprises an ink box body and a connecting component, and the ink box body is connected in the mounting part of the printer through the connecting component. Then, after the ink box body is connected with the printer, the ink box body can shake relative to the body by taking the connecting component as a fulcrum, and the larger the distance between the ink box body and the connecting component is, the larger the shake amplitude of the ink box body is.

In the prior art, in order to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the ink cartridge, the connecting component is usually disposed at a position of the ink cartridge body close to the opening of the mounting portion, so as to facilitate the operation of a user. The liquid level detecting part is usually arranged at the end surface of the ink box body, so that the distance between the liquid level detecting part and the connecting component is larger, the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detecting part is larger, and the detection precision of the liquid level detecting part is lower.

Therefore, the connecting assembly is arranged at the position of the ink box body close to the liquid level detection part, so that the distance between the connecting assembly and the liquid level detection part is reduced, the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection part relative to the connecting assembly is smaller, and the detection precision of the ink residue is improved.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the body in fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the clip assembly of fig. 1 including a hook portion and a hook groove 13. Fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a portion a in fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the ink cartridge body of fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the portion B in fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the ink cartridge body of fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a schematic structural view of the portion C in fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a second structure of the ink cartridge body in fig. 3. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the portion D in fig. 9.

Referring to fig. 1 to 10, an embodiment of the present invention provides an ink cartridge for use in a printer 10, the ink cartridge includes an ink cartridge body 20 and a connection assembly, the connection assembly is used for detachably connecting the ink cartridge body 20 to the printer 10, the ink cartridge body 20 is used for storing ink, a liquid level detection portion 21 for detecting the remaining amount of ink is provided on the ink cartridge body 20, the printer 10 is provided with a mounting portion 11, the ink cartridge body 20 can extend into or out of the mounting portion 11 along a dismounting direction X, and the connection assembly and the liquid level detection portion 21 are both located at the same end of the ink cartridge body 20 along a maximum dimension direction.

Specifically, the printer 10 is used to eject ink on a sheet of paper to form preset characters, images, and the like. The printer 10 is provided with an ink cartridge that stores ink. The printer 10 is provided with an ink supply assembly (not shown) for directing ink in the ink cartridge to the printing nozzles (not shown) of the printer 10, and the printer 10 and the ink supply assembly may be of a type well known to those skilled in the art, and the present embodiment is not limited.

The ink cartridge includes an ink cartridge body 20 and a connection assembly 30. The printer 10 is provided with a mounting portion 11, the ink cartridge is fixedly connected with the mounting portion 11 through a connecting assembly 30, the mounting portion 11 can be of a groove-shaped structure, and the ink cartridge body 20 extends into and is accommodated in the mounting portion 11. In this way, only the outer wall surface 225 of the ink cartridge body 20 is exposed at the opening of the mounting groove, and the connecting assembly 30 between the ink cartridge body 20 and the mounting portion 11 is hidden in the mounting portion 11, so that the appearance of the printer 10 is relatively simple.

The printer 10 may be provided with a plurality of mounting portions 11 in parallel, and each of the mounting portions 11 may be provided with one ink cartridge, so that the printer 10 may be provided with a plurality of ink cartridges at the same time.

The ink cartridge body 20 may have different shapes according to different needs, and when the ink cartridge body 20 is of different shapes, the maximum dimension direction of the ink cartridge body 20 is also different. For example, the ink cartridge body 20 is cylindrical, and when the axial dimension of the cylindrical ink cartridge body 20 is greater than the radial dimension of the cylindrical ink cartridge body, the maximum dimension direction of the ink cartridge body 20 is the axial direction of the ink cartridge body 20.

Alternatively, in this embodiment, the ink cartridge body 20 may have an approximately cubic structure, and the ink cartridge body 20 has six wall surfaces. For convenience of description, the ink cartridge body 20 has a mounting and dismounting direction X, a width direction Y and a height direction Z, which are perpendicular to each other, and are parallel to three adjacent sides of the ink cartridge body 20. The maximum dimension direction of the ink cartridge body 20 may be any one of the attaching/detaching direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z, depending on the size of the ink cartridge body 20 in each direction.

The ink cartridge body 20 can be mounted on the printer 10 when the ink cartridge body 20 moves in the mounting and dismounting direction X toward the side close to the printer 10, and the ink cartridge body 20 can be dismounted from the printer 10 when the ink cartridge body 20 moves in the mounting and dismounting direction X toward the side far from the printer 10.

Then, the wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20 located at the front end in the attaching/detaching direction X is an end surface 221, the other wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20 opposed to the end surface 221 is an outer wall surface 225, and when the ink cartridge body 20 is mounted on the printer 10, the end surface 221 is located in the mounting portion 11, and the outer wall surface 225 is exposed at the opening position of the mounting portion 11. The other four wall surfaces of the ink cartridge body 20 constitute a circumferential wall surface that is located between the end surface 221 and the outer wall surface 225, and includes a top wall surface 222, a bottom wall surface 223, and two side wall surfaces 224 in the width direction Y in the height direction Z, and are provided in the circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body 20.

The ink cartridge body 20 has a container-like structure, and the interior of the ink cartridge body 20 is hollow to accommodate ink. A plurality of reinforcing ribs are further arranged in the inner cavity of the ink box body 20 so as to improve the strength of the ink box body 20. The ink cartridge body 20 has an ink outlet 24 connected to the ink supply assembly, and ink in the ink cartridge body 20 is led out into the ink supply assembly through the ink outlet 24. The ink cartridge body 20 further has an air inlet 25, and the air inlet 25 can communicate the inner cavity of the ink cartridge body 20 with the atmosphere, so that when the ink is reduced, air can be correspondingly supplemented to maintain the air pressure inside the ink cartridge body 20. The ink cartridge body 20 further includes a liquid level detecting portion 21 for detecting the remaining amount of ink.

The liquid level detection part 21 protrudes out of the ink box body 20, and a cavity surrounded by the liquid level detection part 21 is communicated with the inner cavity of the ink box body 20, so that ink can enter the liquid level detection part 21. The liquid level detecting unit 21 is made of a light-permeable resin member. The printer 10 is correspondingly provided with a light sensor, the light sensor comprises an emitter and a receiver, the emitter and the receiver are respectively arranged at two sides of the liquid level detection part 21, the emitter is used for emitting detection light, and the receiver is used for receiving the detection light transmitted through the liquid level detection part 21. The liquid level detecting unit 21 and the ink can attenuate the detection light, and the amount of the detection light received by the receiver can determine whether or not the ink is present in the ink cartridge body 20 and the amount of the remaining ink. Of course, a detecting rocker arm well known to those skilled in the art may be further disposed in the ink cartridge body 20, and the detecting rocker arm may rotate relative to the ink cartridge body 20, and may extend into the liquid level detecting portion 21 to attenuate light, deflect light, and the like, which is not limited in this embodiment.

The liquid level detecting portion 21 may be provided on any one of the wall surfaces of the ink cartridge body 20. Alternatively, the liquid level detecting portion 21 in the present embodiment is provided on the end surface 221 of the ink cartridge body 20.

The connecting component 30 connects and fixes the ink cartridge body 20 and the printer 10, and the connecting component 30 and the liquid level detecting portion 21 are both located at the same end of the ink cartridge body 20 along the maximum dimension direction. In this way, the distance between the connection assembly 30 and the liquid level detection portion 21 is small. After the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed on the printer 10, even if the ink cartridge body 20 relatively shakes relative to the printer 10, the ink cartridge body 20 shakes relative to the printer 10 with the connecting assembly 30 as a fulcrum, and because the distance between the liquid level detection portion 21 and the connecting assembly 30 is smaller, the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detection portion 21 relative to the preset position thereof, that is, the offset is smaller, so that the detection precision of the ink residue is improved.

The connection assembly 30 may be disposed on different wall surfaces of the cartridge body 20 according to the maximum size direction of the cartridge body 20. Illustratively, when the maximum dimension direction of the ink cartridge body 20 is the height direction Z and the minimum dimension direction is the mounting/dismounting direction X, the liquid level detecting portion 21 is provided on the end surface 221, and the connection assembly 30 may be provided on the end surface 221 or at a position of the outer wall surface 225 corresponding to the liquid level detecting portion 21.

In some alternative embodiments, the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 in the mounting-dismounting direction X is greater than or equal to the cross-sectional dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 in the circumferential direction. That is, the maximum dimension direction of the ink cartridge body 20 is the mounting/dismounting direction X or the height direction Z. Illustratively, the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 in the dismounting direction X may be approximately equivalent to the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 in the height direction Z, and the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 in the dismounting direction X is larger than the dimension of the ink cartridge body 20 in the width direction Y.

The present embodiment will be described taking the maximum dimension direction of the ink cartridge body 20 as the attachment/detachment direction X as an example. At this time, the ink cartridge body 20 is provided with an end surface 221 and a circumferential wall surface, the end surface 221 is located at an end of the ink cartridge body 20 in the attaching/detaching direction X, the circumferential wall surface is connected to the end surface 221 and located in a circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body 20, the liquid level detecting portion 21 is located on the end surface 221 of the ink cartridge body 20, and the connection assembly 30 may be provided on the end surface 221 of the ink cartridge body 20 or on a side of the circumferential wall surface near the end surface 221.

When the connection assembly 30 is disposed on the end surface 221 of the ink cartridge body 20, referring to fig. 5, the connection assembly 30 may be juxtaposed with the liquid level detecting portion 21 in the width direction Y. Of course, at this time, the connection assembly 30 may be provided at a different position of the liquid level detection portion 21 in the height direction Z.

When the connection assembly 30 is provided on the circumferential wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20, the connection assembly 30 may be provided on any one of the top wall surface 222, the bottom wall surface 223 (as shown in fig. 9 and 10), or the side wall surface 224, with the connection assembly 30 being located on a side of the circumferential wall surface near the end surface 221 to reduce the spacing between the connection assembly 30 and the liquid level detection portion 21.

In some alternative embodiments, the printer 10 of fig. 5 and 6 and fig. 13 and 14 is provided with a contact pin, the cartridge body 20 is provided with a chip 23, the chip 23 is disposed on a circumferential wall surface of the cartridge body 20, and when the cartridge body 20 is mounted on the printer 10, the contact pin is electrically connected with the contact 231 of the chip 23 to achieve communication between the cartridge body 20 and the printer 10.

It will be appreciated that the contact pins are resilient members, which are elastically deformed and press against the contacts 231 of the chip 23 when the contact pins are electrically connected to the chip 23, and bring the ink cartridge body 20 into abutment with the other side of the mounting portion 11 opposite to the contact pins.

The chip 23 may be fixed at any position on the circumferential wall surface of the cartridge body 20. Alternatively, the present embodiment is described taking an example in which the chip 23 is provided on the top wall surface 222. The top wall surface 222 is provided with a chip fixing seat, the chip 23 is disposed on the chip fixing seat, and the chip 23 is disposed perpendicular to the height direction Z, or the chip is disposed obliquely with respect to the top wall surface 222 as shown in fig. 5 and 13. The present embodiment does not limit the structures of the contact pins, the chip 23, and the chip holder, and the like.

Referring to fig. 13, the chip 23 has three contacts 231 electrically connected to the contact pins, and the three contacts 231 are juxtaposed in the width direction Y of the ink cartridge.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6 and fig. 13 and 14, in some alternative embodiments, the ink cartridge has a bonding surface formed by the ink cartridge body 20 and the printer via the connection assembly 30, and the bonding surface and the surface of the contact 231 are spaced apart in a width direction Y of the ink cartridge body 20, and the width direction Y is perpendicular to the mounting and dismounting direction X.

In this way, on the projection plane perpendicular to the height direction, the projections of the chip contacts 231 on the projection plane and the projections of the bonding surfaces on the projection plane are arranged at intervals in the width direction Y.

For example, three contacts 231 of the chip 23 are arranged at intervals in the width direction Y, the chip 23 has a first plane, the first plane is arranged perpendicular to the width direction Y, and an edge of the chip 23 near the contacts 231 of the connection assembly 30 is located on the first plane. The connection assembly 30 has a second plane on which the edge of the bonding surface that is close to the chip 23 is also located. When the bonding surface is spaced from the surface of the chip contact 231 in the width direction Y of the ink cartridge body 20, the first plane and the second plane have a pitch in the width direction Y.

When the connection assembly 30 is disposed on the side wall 224, the chip 23 may be disposed on the top wall 222, the bottom wall 223, or another side wall 224 opposite to the connection assembly 30, since the chip 23 does not protrude from the side wall 224. When the connection members are provided on the top wall surface 222, the chip 23 may be provided on the side wall surface 224, or the chip 23 may be provided on the top wall surface 222 or the bottom wall surface 223, as long as the joint surfaces formed by the contacts 231 and the connection members 23 are arranged offset in the width direction Y.

Thus, in the width direction Y, a plurality of fixing positions are provided between the ink cartridge and the mounting portion 11, and the ink cartridge body 20 can be relatively firmly fixed in the mounting portion 11.

When the bonding surface and the contact 231 are arranged at intervals in the width direction Y, the distance between the connecting assembly 30 and the end surface 221 along the assembling and disassembling direction X is smaller than the distance between the chip 23 and the end surface 221 along the assembling and disassembling direction X, and the distance between the connecting assembly 30 and the liquid level detection portion 21 along the height direction Z is smaller than the distance between the chip 23 and the liquid level detection portion 21 along the height direction Z.

Illustratively, when the connection assembly is disposed on the end surface 221 and the chip 23 is disposed on the top wall surface 222, the distance between the connection assembly and the end surface 221 along the mounting and dismounting direction X is zero, and the distance between the chip 23 and the end surface 221 along the mounting and dismounting direction X is greater than zero. Meanwhile, the connecting component is located below the chip 23 along the height direction Z, and the distance between the connecting component and the liquid level detection part 21 along the height direction Z is smaller than the distance between the chip 23 and the liquid level detection part 21 along the height direction Z.

Thus, the distance between the connecting assembly and the liquid level detecting portion 21 is smaller than the distance between the connecting assembly and the chip 23 in the assembling and disassembling direction X and the height direction Z, i.e., the connecting assembly is disposed between the liquid level detecting portion 21 and the chip 23 in the assembling and disassembling direction X and the height direction Z. Thus, the smaller distance is provided between the connecting component and the liquid level detecting part 21 and between the connecting component and the chip 23, so that the shaking amplitude of the liquid level detecting part 21 can be reduced, the detecting precision of the ink allowance can be improved, and the problems that the shaking amplitude between the chip 23 and the contact pin is larger and the poor electrical connection occurs between the chip 23 and the contact pin when the ink cartridge body 20 shakes relative to the printer 10 due to the overlarge distance between the connecting component 30 and the chip 23 can be avoided.

In some alternative embodiments, the number of the connection assemblies 30 is plural, the plural connection assemblies 30 are disposed on the end surface 221 of the ink cartridge body 20 and/or the side wall surface 224 of the ink cartridge body 20, and the plural connection assemblies 30 are disposed at intervals along the circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body 20.

Wherein, a plurality of the connection assemblies 30 may be disposed on the circumferential wall surface at the same time, or on the end surface 221 at the same time, and disposed at intervals along the circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body 20. Or a plurality of connecting assemblies 30 may be disposed on the circumferential wall surface and the end surface 221 at the same time, so as to improve the fixing stability of the ink cartridge body 20 and prevent the ink cartridge body 20 from shaking relative to the printer 10.

The number of the connection assemblies 30 is two, and the two connection assemblies 30 are disposed on the end surface 221 and symmetrically disposed on both sides of the liquid level detecting portion 21 in the width direction Y, and the two connection assemblies 30 may be disposed on the top wall surface 222 and the bottom wall surface 223 of the ink cartridge body 20, or on the end surface 221 and the bottom wall surface 223, respectively. The present embodiment does not limit the number and arrangement positions of the connection members 30.

It will be appreciated that the ink cartridge body 20 is secured within the mounting portion 11, and the connection assembly 30 is correspondingly hidden within the mounting portion 11, and the connection assembly 30 is not exposed at the opening position of the mounting portion 11.

For easy assembly and disassembly of the ink cartridge body 20, referring to fig. 2 to 10, in some alternative embodiments, the connecting assembly includes a hook portion 35 and a hook groove 13, one of the hook portion 35 and the hook groove 13 is disposed on the ink cartridge body 20, the other is disposed on the mounting portion 11, the hook portion 35 can extend into the hook groove 13 to clamp the ink cartridge in the mounting portion 11, and when the ink cartridge is clamped in the mounting portion 11, there is a fit gap between the ink cartridge and the mounting portion 11 to disengage the hook portion 35 from the hook groove 13 by relative movement between the ink cartridge and the mounting portion 11.

Specifically, the hook portion 35 may be formed on the mounting portion 11 of the printer 10, and the hook groove 13 is formed on the ink cartridge body 20. Alternatively, referring to fig. 3 and 4, the present embodiment is described taking the example that the hook groove 13 is formed on the mounting portion 11 and the hook portion 35 is formed on the ink cartridge body 20. For example, the mounting portion 11 is provided with a riser 14, a cavity of the riser 14 on a side away from the ink cartridge body 20 may form a hook slot 13, and the hook portion 35 is hooked with a side of the riser 14 away from the ink cartridge body 20, so as to achieve fastening of the ink cartridge in the mounting portion 11.

The hook portion 35 may be an elastic member, so that the hook portion 35 may extend into or out of the hook slot 13 through elastic deformation of the hook portion 35.

It will be appreciated that there is a fit gap between the cartridge and the mounting portion 11 to facilitate pushing and pulling of the cartridge. To avoid the breaking of the hook 35, the present embodiment may utilize the fit gap, and, for example, a user holds the ink cartridge body 20, so that the ink cartridge moves relative to the mounting portion 11 or the ink cartridge rotates with a certain point of the ink cartridge being supported by the ink cartridge body 20, and the hook 35 moves relative to the mounting portion 11 along with the ink cartridge body 20 to extend into or out of the hook slot 13, thereby improving the service life of the hook 35.

The hook portion 35 may be integrally formed with the ink cartridge body 20. In order to improve the service life of the ink cartridge, the hook 35 may also be detachably connected to the cartridge body 20, for example, the hook 35 may be fastened to the cartridge body 20 by a threaded fastener.

At this time, the joint surface formed by the connection assembly 30 is a contact surface between the riser 14 and the hook portion 35. When the extension length of the hook portion 35 in the width direction Y is large, the contact surface between the riser 14 and the hook portion 35 has a large dimension in the width direction Y.

In order to avoid the intersection of the contact surface of the riser 14 and the hook portion 35 with the surface of the contact 231 in the width direction Y, referring to fig. 7 and 8, an avoidance notch 351 may be provided on the hook portion 35, where the avoidance notch 351 is disposed on a side of the hook portion 35 close to the chip 23. In this way, the dimension of the hook portion 35 in the width direction Y is reduced, and the edge of the contact surface on the side closer to the chip 23 is offset toward the side farther from the chip 23 so that a pitch in the width direction Y is provided between the contact 231 and the contact surface.

In some alternative embodiments, the hook 35 is disposed on the ink cartridge body 20, the hook slot 13 is disposed on the mounting portion 11, and the opening of the hook slot 13 faces upward, and the hook 35 can extend into the hook slot 13 under the gravity of the ink cartridge body 20.

Thus, when the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the mounting portion 11, the ink cartridge body 20 can overlap the bottom wall surface 223 of the mounting groove under the action of its own weight, and at this time, the hook portion 35 moves downward along with the ink cartridge body 20 along the height direction Z and extends into the hook groove 13, so as to realize the fastening and fixing between the ink cartridge and the mounting portion 11. When the ink box needs to be disassembled, a user only needs to lift the ink box body 20 upwards along the height direction Z, and the ink box is simple in structure and convenient to operate.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the latch assembly of fig. 1 including a swing link, a slide and a chute. Fig. 12 is a schematic structural view of the portion E in fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a schematic view of the ink cartridge body of fig. 11. Fig. 14 is a schematic structural view of the portion F in fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram of an exploded view of the ink cartridge body of fig. 13. Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an exploded structure of the ink cartridge body of fig. 13. Fig. 17 is a schematic view of the shutter and driver of fig. 13. Fig. 18 is a second schematic structural view of the ink cartridge body of fig. 11. Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the G portion in fig. 18.

Referring to fig. 11 to 19, in order to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the ink cartridge body 20, in some alternative embodiments, the connecting assembly 30 may further include a swing link 31, a sliding slot 32, and a first elastic member (not shown), wherein the first elastic member is connected to one of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20 and can be compressed between the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20, the sliding slot 32 is disposed on one of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20, the other of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20 is rotatably connected to the swing link 31, the swing link 31 is provided with a protruding sliding portion 311, wherein when the ink cartridge body 20 moves relative to the printer 10, the swing link 31 can rotate around its own rotation axis to enable the sliding portion 311 to move relative to the sliding slot 32 along an extending direction of the sliding slot 32, and when the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed relative to the printer 10, the sliding portion 311 is abutted against an inner wall surface of the sliding slot 32 under the elastic force of the first elastic member.

Specifically, the swing lever 31 may be disposed on the ink cartridge body 20, and the chute 32 is disposed on the printer 10. In the present embodiment, the swing lever 31 is provided on the printer 10, and the chute 32 is provided on the ink cartridge body 20.

The swing rod 31 is rotatably connected with the printer 10 through its own rotation shaft, and the rotation shaft of the swing rod 31 may be disposed parallel to the width direction Y, may be disposed parallel to the height direction Z, or may be disposed at an included angle with the width direction Y, which is not limited in this embodiment. Alternatively, the rotation axis of the swing link 31 in this embodiment may be disposed along the height direction Z.

The first elastic member may be a member having elasticity such as a spring, an elastic rubber member, or the like. One end of the first elastic member may be connected to one of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20, and the other end of the first elastic member is a free end for abutting against the other of the printer 10 and the ink cartridge body 20. Optionally, in this embodiment, the first elastic member is connected to the mounting portion 11, so as to avoid the protruding parts on the wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20, and simplify the appearance of the ink cartridge body 20.

When the swing rod 31 rotates relative to the printer 10, the sliding part 311 rotates around the rotating shaft of the swing rod 31 and simultaneously slides in the sliding groove 32, and when the sliding part 311 is positioned at different positions of the sliding groove 32, the ink cartridge body 20 has different connection states relative to the printer 10.

Specifically, when the ink cartridge body 20 needs to be mounted, the user pushes the ink cartridge body 20 along the dismounting direction X, during the process that the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the mounting portion 11, the sliding portion 311 extends into the sliding groove 32 through the inlet of the sliding groove 32, as the ink cartridge body 20 continues to extend into the mounting portion 11, the first elastic member is compressed under pressure, and the sliding portion 311 moves relative to the sliding groove 32 along the extending direction of the sliding groove 32.

When the ink cartridge body 20 moves to the preset position, the user breaks away from the ink cartridge body 20, and the ink cartridge body 20 moves towards one side of the extending mounting portion 11 along the dismounting direction X under the action of the elastic force of the first elastic member until the sliding portion 311 abuts against the inner wall surface of the sliding groove 32, and the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed in the mounting portion 11.

When the ink cartridge body 20 needs to be disassembled, the swing rod 31 can continue to rotate to resist the elastic force of the first elastic piece, and the ink cartridge body 20 moves towards one side of the extending installation part 11 along the disassembling and assembling direction X under the elastic force of the first elastic piece until the sliding part 311 slides out of the sliding groove 32. At this time, the ink cartridge body 20 is separated from the printer 10.

Namely, the user pushes the ink box, and the ink box body 20 is dismounted relative to the printer 10 through the mutual cooperation between the swing rod 31 and the sliding groove 32, so that the structure is simple, and the operation is convenient.

The sliding groove 32 may have a blind hole structure, and the sliding portion 311 is clamped with an end of the sliding groove 32 and extends into or out of the sliding groove 32 from a port of the blind hole sliding groove 32.

At this time, the joint surface formed by the connection assembly 30 is an abutment surface between the swing link 31 and the slide groove 32, wherein the sliding portion 311 may have different shapes, such as a sphere, a cylinder, etc. When the sliding portion 311 has different shapes, the projection of the abutment surface on the projection plane may be a projection surface or a projection line.

By arranging the contact 231 surface and the abutting surface of the swing link 31 and the chute 32 at intervals in the width direction Y, the ink cartridge body 20 can be fixed in the mounting portion 11 more firmly.

Fig. 20 is a schematic structural view of the sliding portion of the swing rod in fig. 11 opposite to the guiding section of the sliding groove. Fig. 21 is a schematic structural view of the sliding portion of the swing rod in fig. 11 at the leading-in section. Fig. 22 is a schematic structural view of the sliding portion of the swing rod in fig. 11 when being clamped with the clamping section. Fig. 23 is a schematic view of the sliding portion of the swing link of fig. 11 in the guide-out section.

Referring to fig. 11 to 23, alternatively, the chute 32 in the present embodiment may include an inlet section 321, a clamping section 322 and an outlet section 323, the clamping section 322 is communicated with the inlet section 321 and the outlet section 323, when the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the mounting portion 11, the swing rod 31 is opposite to a port of the inlet section 321, so that the sliding portion 311 can extend into the inlet section 321 and move along the inlet section 321 toward the clamping section 322, the clamping section 322 is provided with a clamping wall 3221, one side of the clamping wall 3221 toward a rotating shaft of the swing rod 31 is bent to accommodate the sliding portion 311, the sliding portion 311 can be abutted against the clamping wall 3221 under the elastic force of the first elastic member, wherein when the chute 32 and the swing rod 31 move toward one side close to each other, the sliding portion 311 can slide out of the clamping wall 3221 along the clamping wall 3221, and extend along the outlet section 323 under the elastic force of the first elastic member, so as to separate the ink cartridge body 20 and the printer 10 from each other.

Specifically, the guide section 321 is used to guide the sliding portion 311 to extend into the chute 32 during the process of mounting the ink cartridge body 20 on the printer 10. That is, the port of the lead-in section 321 is always opposite to the sliding portion 311 of the swing link 31 during the movement of the ink cartridge body 20 relative to the printer 10. Meanwhile, in order to facilitate the sliding portion 311 to separate from the guiding-out section 323, a port of the guiding-out section 323 is also disposed opposite to the swing rod 31. Thus, the chute 32 has a U-like configuration.

For effectively clamping the swing rod 31, the sliding part 311 is prevented from moving relative to the chute 32 due to shaking of the printer, a clamping wall 3221 is arranged in the clamping section 322 in the embodiment, the clamping wall 3221 is concavely arranged towards one side of the rotating shaft of the swing rod 31 so as to enclose an accommodating area for accommodating the sliding part 311, and after the sliding part 311 moves to the position of the clamping wall 3221, the sliding part 311 can be in abutting contact with the clamping wall 3221, namely, the sliding part 311 is limited through the clamping wall 3221 so as to fix the ink box body 20 on the printer 10.

It can be appreciated that the clamping wall 3221 has three parts, namely two first parts along the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft of the swing rod 31 and a second part located between the two parts, wherein the second part is connected with the two first parts and encloses the accommodating area.

At this time, the sliding portion 311 is abutted against the first portion of the engagement wall 3221 along the circumferential direction of the rotation axis of the swing link 31, and the sliding portion 311 is engaged with the second portion of the engagement wall 3221 in the dismounting direction X under the elastic force of the first elastic member. In this way, under the combined action of the first elastic member and the second elastic member 33, the sliding portion 311 of the swing rod 31 can move adaptively relative to the clamping wall 3221 and effectively abut against the clamping wall 3221, so that the fixing stability of the ink cartridge body 20 is high

Then, when it is necessary to detach the ink cartridge body 20, it is necessary to take out the sliding portion 311 from the accommodation area, that is, to move the slide groove 32 and the swing lever 31 toward the sides close to each other, that is, the user can press the ink cartridge body 20 toward the inside of the mounting portion 11 in the attaching/detaching direction X. Thus, the swing rod 31 continues to rotate, so that the sliding part 311 can slide out of the accommodating area and continue to slide along the guiding-out section 323. Meanwhile, the ink cartridge body 20 is ejected toward the side of the protruding mounting portion 11, i.e., the ink cartridge body 20 is separated from the printer 10, by the elastic force of the first elastic member.

Wherein, a motor and the like can be arranged on the printer to drive the swinging rod 31 to rotate around the rotating shaft thereof. In order to simplify the driving structure of the swing rod 31, in some alternative embodiments, the connection assembly 30 further includes a second elastic member 33, where the second elastic member 33 is connected to the swing rod 31, the second elastic member 33 and the sliding portion 311 are respectively located at two ends of the rotating shaft of the swing rod 31, and when the second elastic member 33 is in a natural state, the swing rod 31 extends toward the guiding-out section 323, and the second elastic member 33 may be a spring, an elastic metal sheet, or other elastic component, which has a simple structure and is convenient for dismounting the ink cartridge body 20.

The second elastic member 33 may be wound around the rotation shaft of the swing rod 31 to drive the swing rod 31 to rotate. Alternatively, the second elastic member 33 in the present embodiment is connected to the swing link 31, and one end of the second elastic member 33 is connected to the swing link 31, and the other end of the second elastic member 33 is connected to the printer 10, where the swing link 31 extends toward the lead-out section 323 when the second elastic member 33 is in a natural state.

At this time, referring to fig. 20, the opening of the lead-in section 321 is larger to cover at least a portion of the lead-out section 323 in the mounting direction, so that the sliding portion 311 can extend into the lead-in section 321 when the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the mounting portion 11.

Thus, referring to fig. 21, when the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the mounting portion 11, the sliding portion 311 extends into the guiding portion 321, and the swing rod 31 rotates clockwise around its own rotation axis, and drives the second elastic member 33 to stretch and deform. Thus, the second elastic member 33 has a tendency to contract, and the swing link 31 has a tendency to rotate counterclockwise. As the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the mounting portion 11, the sliding portion 311 moves along the extending direction of the introducing section 321, and abuts against the inner wall surface of the introducing section 321 under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 until the sliding portion 311 falls into the accommodating area surrounded by the engaging wall surface 3221 under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 (see fig. 22). That is, the driving of the sliding portion 311 into the catching section 322 may be facilitated by the elastic force of the second elastic member 33. At this time, under the elastic force of the first elastic member, the sliding groove 32 and the swing rod 31 have a movement tendency of being separated from each other, and the sliding portion 311 abuts against the clamping wall surface 3221, so as to realize the fixed connection between the ink cartridge body 20 and the printer 10.

Referring to fig. 23, when the ink cartridge body 20 needs to be removed or replaced, the user can press the ink cartridge body 20 along the removing direction X, and at this time, the swing rod 31 and the chute 32 are close to each other, and since the second elastic member 33 is in the natural state, the swing rod 31 extends toward the guiding-out section 323, and the sliding portion 311 can continue to rotate in the counterclockwise direction and move out of the clamping section 322 along the clamping wall 3221 under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33. At this time, the ink cartridge body 20 gradually moves out of the mounting portion 11 under the elastic force of the first elastic member, and at the same time, the sliding portion 311 continues to rotate counterclockwise under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 until the sliding portion 311 moves into the guiding-out section 323, and the second elastic member 33 returns to the natural state. That is, the second elastic member 33 can prevent the sliding portion 311 from moving toward the side of the introduction section 321 when moving out of the engagement section 322.

Then, the ink cartridge body 20 may be further moved out of the mounting portion 11 by the elastic force of the first elastic member or by the user's operation, the sliding portion 311 may be further rotated in the counterclockwise direction, and may be further moved along the lead-out section 323 until the sliding portion 311 is moved out of the lead-out section 323, and the ink cartridge body 20 is detached from the printer 10. At this time, the second elastic member 33 is stretch-deformed, and the second elastic member 33 has a movement tendency to rotate clockwise.

After the ink cartridge body 20 is separated from the printer 10, the swing rod 31 can rotate clockwise under the elastic force of the second elastic member 33 until the second elastic member 33 is restored to the natural state. At this time, the mounting portion 11 of the printer 10 is left empty.

Namely, the second elastic piece 33 can conveniently realize the disassembly and assembly of the ink box body 20, and has simple structure and lower manufacturing cost.

To facilitate the user to hold the ink cartridge body 20, the ink cartridge body 20 is provided with a holding member 26, and the holding member 26 is disposed on the outer wall surface 225 or on a side of the circumferential wall surface near the outer wall surface 225. Illustratively, the grip 26 may be disposed on the top wall surface 222.

It will be appreciated that the top of the cartridge body 20 is provided with a top plate, the wall surface of which constitutes the top wall surface 222, and the holding member 26 may be fixedly attached to the top plate.

Optionally, a locking member may be disposed at a position of the printer 10 opposite to the holding member 26, and the holding member 26 is correspondingly movably connected to the ink cartridge body 20.

Specifically, the locking member is rotatably connected to the mounting portion 11, and a fifth elastic member is disposed on the mounting portion 11, and the fifth elastic member can extend the locking member toward one side of the ink cartridge body 20. Thus, the locking member can abut against the top wall 222 of the ink cartridge body 20 and slide relative to the ink cartridge body 20 when the ink cartridge body 20 extends into the mounting portion 11.

The top wall surface of the ink box body 20 is correspondingly provided with an abutting groove which can be abutted with the locking piece, after the ink box body 20 moves in place, the locking piece falls into the abutting groove and abuts against the inner wall surface of the abutting groove, so that the movement trend of the ink box body 20 extending out of the mounting part 11 is prevented.

At this time, the holding member 26 is rotatably connected to the top plate, the holding member 26 is pressed downward in the height direction Z, the other end of the holding member 26 is lifted upward and the lock member is lifted to rotate, at this time, the lock member can be disengaged from the abutment groove, and the ink cartridge body 20 can be taken out from the mounting portion 11.

Alternatively, the top plate may be provided in a stepped manner, a portion of the top plate is configured to be rotatably connected to the holding member 26, and another portion of the top plate may protrude toward a side away from the ink cartridge body 20, so that the holding member 26 is provided substantially flush with the protruding portion of the top plate, and the appearance of the ink cartridge is relatively flat.

In some alternative embodiments, the printer 10 is provided with a light detecting member disposed in the mounting portion 11, and the cartridge is provided with a shielding member, and the shielding member 40 shields the light detecting member from detecting light when the cartridge body 20 is mounted on the printer 10, so as to prompt the cartridge body 20 to be mounted in the mounting portion 11.

The light detecting member may include an emitting member for emitting the detection light and a receiving member for receiving the detection light. The shielding member 40 may be a protruding structure formed on the wall surface of the cartridge body 20, and when the cartridge body 20 is fixed in the mounting portion 11, the shielding member 40 is disposed between the transmitting member and the receiving member, and the shielding member 40 attenuates or shields the detection light, so that the amount of the detection light received by the receiver can determine that the cartridge body 20 is fixed in the mounting portion 11.

Thus, when the cartridge body 20 is mounted on the printer 10, the shutter member 40 is disposed between the transmitting member and the receiving member, and the amount of light detected by the receiving member is small or zero, it can be judged that the cartridge body 20 has been fixed in the mounting portion 11. When the amount of light detected by the receiving member is the amount of light of the detection light at the emission member, it can be judged that the ink cartridge body 20 has not been fixed in the mounting portion 11 or that the mounting portion 11 of the printer 10 is in the empty state.

Optionally, in order to avoid that the foreign matter is disposed between the transmitting member and the receiving member, so that the photo detection member erroneously determines that the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed in the mounting portion 11, in some alternative embodiments, the shielding assembly 40 includes a driving member 41, a shielding member 42, and a third elastic member 43, both ends of the third elastic member 43 are respectively connected to the shielding member 42 and the ink cartridge body 20, a first clamping portion 411 is disposed on the driving member 41, a second clamping portion 421 is disposed on the shielding member 42, the first clamping portion 411 and the second clamping portion 421 are disposed on one side of the driving member 41 and the shielding member 42 facing each other, respectively, when the ink cartridge body 20 moves relative to the printer 10, the driving member 41 abuts against the printer 10, and the first clamping portion 411 and the second clamping portion 421 move relative to the ink cartridge body 20 through the abutting connection therebetween, wherein a guiding inclined surface is disposed on the first clamping portion 411, the second clamping portion 421 can move along the guiding inclined surface toward the side facing away from the driving member 41, and when the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed in the mounting portion 11 through the connecting assembly, the first clamping portion 421 and the second clamping portion 421 can separate from the first clamping portion and the first elastic member and the photo detection member 42, and the photo detection member can be separated from each other, and the photo detection member can be elastically detected.

I.e., the driving member 41 and the shutter member 42, are both movably connected to the ink cartridge body 20. Wherein the shielding member 42 is connected to the ink cartridge body 20 through the third elastic member 43, and the driving member 41 is connected to the ink cartridge body 20 through the fourth elastic member 44, so that after the ink cartridge body 20 is detached, the driving member 41 can be restored to the original position with respect to the ink cartridge body 20 through the fourth elastic member 44. The shutter 42 is movable relative to the ink cartridge body 20 by deformation of the third elastic member 43, and the driving member 41 is movable relative to the ink cartridge body 20 by deformation of the fourth elastic member 44.

Guide structures can be arranged between the driving piece 41 and the ink box body 20 and between the shielding piece 42 and the ink box body 20, so that the driving piece 41 and the ink box body 20 can move relative to the ink box body 20 along a preset direction, and the driving piece 41 and the shielding piece 42 are prevented from being deviated. The guide structure may be a guide groove or the like, and the driving member 41 and the ink cartridge body 20 are guided by sliding fit with the guide groove, respectively, and the guide structure is not limited in this embodiment.

The shielding member 42 and the driving member 41 may be disposed at any position on the wall surface of the ink cartridge body 20, and alternatively, in this embodiment, the driving member 41 and the shielding member 42 are disposed in parallel on the top wall surface 222 of the ink cartridge body 20 in the height direction Z. For example, the shutter 42 is located above the driving member 41 in the height direction Z. Thus, the first engaging portion 411 of the driver 41 is located above the driver 41 in the height direction Z, and the second engaging portion 421 of the shutter 42 is located below the shutter 42 in the height direction Z.

The mounting portion 11 is provided therein with a protruding ejector rod structure 12, the ejector rod structure 12 protruding from an inner wall surface of the mounting portion 11 for abutment with the driving member 41.

Thus, after the ink cartridge body 20 is inserted into the mounting portion 11, the shielding member 42 can shield the detection light emitted from the emitting member for the first time. When the ink cartridge body 20 resists the elastic force of the first elastic member and moves towards the inner side of the mounting portion 11, the ejector rod structure 12 abuts against the driving member 41 and pushes the driving member 41 to move relative to the ink cartridge body 20, and at this time, the fourth elastic member 44 is compressed.

Then, the first engaging portion 411 and the second engaging portion 421 abut against each other, so that the shutter 42 is also moved relative to the ink cartridge body 20 by the driving member 41, and at this time, the third elastic member 43 is compressed.

The first clamping portion 411 is provided with a guiding inclined plane, the second clamping portion 421 can move along the guiding inclined plane towards one side away from the driving member 41, that is, in the abutting process of the first clamping portion 411 and the second clamping portion 421, the second clamping portion 421 moves along the guiding inclined plane relative to the first clamping portion 411 until the first clamping portion 411 and the second clamping portion 421 are separated from each other, and the shielding member 42 restores to the initial position relative to the ink cartridge body 20 under the action of the elastic force of the third elastic member 43.

When the ink cartridge body 20 is fixed in the mounting portion 11, the shielding member 42 resumes the initial position with respect to the ink cartridge body 20, and shields the detection light of the transmitting member again.

That is, the present embodiment prompts the ink cartridge body 20 to be installed in place by the secondary shielding action of the shielding member 42, so as to avoid the printer 10 from misjudging that the ink cartridge body 20 is installed in place.

In this specification, each embodiment or implementation is described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on a difference from other embodiments, and identical and similar parts between the embodiments are all enough to refer to each other.

In the description of the present specification, reference to the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

It should be noted that the above embodiments are merely for illustrating the technical solution of the present invention and not for limiting the same, and although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the technical solution described in the above embodiments may be modified or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced, and these modifications or substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solution deviate from the scope of the technical solution of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. The ink box is applied to a printer and is characterized by comprising an ink box body and a connecting assembly, wherein the connecting assembly is used for detachably connecting the ink box body to the printer, the ink box body is used for storing ink, and a liquid level detection part for detecting the residual amount of the ink is arranged on the ink box body;

the connecting component and the liquid level detection part are both positioned at the same end of the ink box body along the maximum dimension direction;

the ink box comprises an ink box body, and is characterized in that a chip is arranged on the ink box body, the ink box is provided with a joint surface, the joint surface is formed by the ink box body and the printer through the connecting component, and the joint surface and the surface of a contact of the chip are arranged at intervals in the direction perpendicular to the disassembly and assembly direction of the ink box body.

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a dimension of the ink cartridge body in a mounting-dismounting direction is greater than or equal to a cross-sectional dimension of the ink cartridge body in a circumferential direction;

the ink box comprises an ink box body, a connecting component and a liquid level detection part, wherein the ink box body is provided with an end face and a circumferential wall face, the end face is located at the end part of the ink box body along the disassembly and assembly direction, the circumferential wall face is connected with the end face and located in the circumferential direction of the ink box body, the liquid level detection part is located on the end face of the ink box body, and the connecting component is arranged on the end face of the ink box body or on one side, close to the end face, of the circumferential wall face.

3. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the printer is provided with a contact pin, the chip is disposed on a circumferential wall surface of the cartridge body, and the contact pin is electrically connected to a contact of the chip when the cartridge body is mounted on the printer.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein,

The distance between the connecting component and the end face along the disassembly and assembly direction is smaller than the distance between the chip and the end face along the disassembly and assembly direction;

The distance between the connecting component and the liquid level detection part along the height direction is smaller than the distance between the chip and the liquid level detection part along the height direction.

5. The ink cartridge as in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the connection assembly comprises a hook portion and a hook slot, one of the hook portion and the hook slot being disposed on the ink cartridge body, the other being disposed on the mounting portion, the hook portion being extendable into the hook slot to secure the ink cartridge in the mounting portion;

And when the ink box is clamped and fixed in the mounting part, a fit clearance is reserved between the ink box and the mounting part, so that the clamping hook part is separated from the clamping hook groove through relative movement between the ink box and the mounting part.

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the hook portion is provided on the ink cartridge body, the hook groove is provided on the mounting portion, and an opening of the hook groove faces upward, and the hook portion is allowed to extend into the hook groove under the action of gravity of the ink cartridge body.

7. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the connection assembly includes a swing link, a slide slot, and a first resilient member connected to one of the printer and the cartridge body and compressibly compressible between the printer and the cartridge body;

The sliding groove is arranged on one of the printer and the ink box body, the other of the printer and the ink box body is rotationally connected with the swing rod, and the swing rod is provided with a protruding sliding part;

When the ink box body moves relative to the printer, the swing rod can rotate around the rotating shaft of the swing rod so that the sliding part moves relative to the sliding groove along the extending direction of the sliding groove; when the ink box body and the printer are fixed relatively, the sliding part is propped against the inner wall surface of the chute under the action of the elastic force of the first elastic piece.

8. The ink cartridge of claim 7, wherein the chute comprises an lead-in section, a snap-in section, and a lead-out section, the snap-in section communicating the lead-in section and the lead-out section;

When the ink box body stretches into the mounting part, the swing rod is arranged opposite to the port of the leading-in section, so that the sliding part can stretch into the leading-in section and move towards one side of the clamping section along the leading-in section;

The clamping section is provided with a clamping wall surface, the clamping wall surface is bent towards one side of the swing rod rotating shaft to accommodate the sliding part, and the sliding part can be abutted against the clamping wall surface under the action of the elastic force of the first elastic piece;

when the sliding groove and the swing rod move towards one side close to each other, the sliding part can slide out of the clamping section along the clamping wall surface and extend out of the guiding-out section under the action of the elastic force of the first elastic piece, so that the ink box body and the printer are separated from each other.

9. The ink cartridge of claim 8, wherein the connecting assembly further comprises a second elastic member, the second elastic member is connected to the swing rod, the second elastic member and the sliding member are respectively located at two ends of the swing rod rotating shaft, and the swing rod extends toward the guiding-out section when the second elastic member is in a natural state.

10. The ink cartridge as in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the number of the connection members is plural, the plural connection members are provided on an end face of the ink cartridge body and/or a side wall face of the ink cartridge body, and the plural connection members are provided at intervals along a circumferential direction of the ink cartridge body.

11. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the printer is provided with a light detecting member provided in the mounting portion, and a shielding member is provided on the ink cartridge, the shielding member shielding detection light emitted from the light detecting member when the ink cartridge body is mounted on the printer to indicate that the ink cartridge body is mounted in the mounting portion.

12. The ink cartridge as in claim 11, wherein the shielding assembly comprises a driving member, a shielding member, and a third elastic member, both ends of the third elastic member are respectively connected with the shielding member and the ink cartridge body, a first clamping portion is provided on the driving member, a second clamping portion is provided on the shielding member, and the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are respectively provided on one side of the driving member and the shielding member facing each other;

When the ink box body moves relative to the printer, the driving piece is abutted with the printer, and the shielding piece is driven to move relative to the ink box body towards one side far away from the printer through the abutting between the first clamping part and the second clamping part;

the first clamping part is provided with a guide inclined plane, the second clamping part can move along the guide inclined plane towards one side away from the driving part, the ink box body is fixed in the mounting part through the connecting component, the first clamping part and the second clamping part are mutually separated, and the shielding part can stretch out and shield detection light rays emitted by the light detection part under the action of the elastic force of the third elastic part.