Patent Publication Number: US-11034144-B2

Title: Ink box proofed against air blockages

Description:
FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to liquid transmission devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Ink filling devices include an ink bottle and an ink box. The ink box generally includes an insertion tube. The top end of the insertion tube defines an air channel and an ink channel. When the ink bottle is inverted into the insertion tube, ink in the ink bottle is automatically injected by gravity into the ink box. Although the ink filling device can inject the ink into the ink box, when an airlock is generated in the ink channel, the ink refill will stop. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of embodiments, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an ink box. 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from a different viewpoint. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the ink box in  FIG. 1  with an ink bottle. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the ink box with the ink bottle in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but with an ink storage chamber communicating with an ink inlet but not with an air vent. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of an intersection of a bottom plate of ink box in  FIG. 1  and an ink storage chamber. 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric view of the ink box in  FIG. 1  with a sealing member. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better show details and features of the present disclosure. The disclosure is by way of example and not by way of limitation. In the figures of the accompanying drawings, like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape, or other feature that the term modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, “substantially cylindrical” means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the like. The references “a plurality of” and “a number of” mean “at least two.” 
       FIGS. 1 to 5  shows an ink box  100 . The ink box  100  includes an ink storage room  20  and an ink guiding member  60  fixed to the ink storage room  20 . The ink guiding member  60  guides ink from an ink bottle  80  to the ink storage room  20 . 
     The ink storage room  20  includes a bottom plate  22 , a first side wall  24 , and a second side wall  26  both fixed to the bottom plate  22 . The second side wall  26  is connected to two ends of the first side wall  24 . The bottom plate  22 , the first side wall  24  and the second side wall  26  together form an ink storage chamber  28 . An ink outlet tube  30  is fixed to an outer side of the first side wall  24  and communicates with the ink storage chamber  28 . The ink guiding member  60  includes a seat  62  and a insertion tube  64  fixed to the seat  62 . The seat  62  is fixed to the bottom plate  22  and protrudes from the outer side of the first side wall  24 . The insertion tube  64  accepts the insertion of the ink bottle  80 . A side of the insertion tube  64  forms an ink inlet  66  and an air vent  68 . The ink inlet  66  is located above the air vent  68 . The ink inlet  66  is at predetermined distance at least from an end of the tube away from the seat  62 . The predetermined distance can be thirty centimeters. An ink outlet  70  and an air guiding port  72  are formed on the seat  62 . The ink inlet  66  communicates with the ink outlet  70 . The ink outlet  70  communicates with the ink storage chamber  28 . The air guiding port  72  communicates with the air vent  68  and outside atmosphere. The air guiding port  72  is positioned above the ink outlet  70 . A distance between the air guiding port  72  and the insertion tube is closer than a distance between the ink outlet  70  and the insertion tube  64 . 
     The ink bottle  80  defines a receiving hole  82  and a receiving chamber  84  communicating with the receiving hole  82 . A valve  88  is fixed at a communication port  86  connecting the receiving hole  82  and the receiving chamber  84  and movable along an axial direction of the receiving hole  82  for opening or closing the communication port  86 . 
     When the ink bottle  80  is positioned over the insertion tube  64  and the receiving hole  82  is aligned with the insertion tube  64 , the end of the insertion tube  64  away from the seat  62  abuts the valve  88  to drive the valve  88  away from communication port  86  to open the communication port  86 . The end of the insertion tube  64  away from the base  62  is positioned in the receiving chamber  84  to reduce air space in the receiving chamber  84 . Thus, an air pressure in the receiving chamber  84  is increased, so that the air pressure in the receiving chamber  84  is greater than an air pressure of the outside atmosphere. Since the ink inlet  66  is located above the air vent  68 , during the insertion of the ink bottle  80  to the insertion tube  64 , the receiving chamber  84  first communicates with the ink inlet  66  and then communicates with the air vent  68 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , when the ink bottle  80  is inserted into the receiving chamber  84  and communicates with the ink inlet port  66  but does not communicate with the air vent  68 , the air pressure in the receiving chamber  84  is greater than that of the outside atmosphere. Thus the ink in the receiving chamber  84  and the air and any debris between the ink inlet  66  and the ink outlet  70  will flow out from the ink outlet  70  and avoid the formation of airlock between the ink inlet port  66  and the ink outlet  70 . In addition, even if the ink bottle  80  has an airlock between the ink inlet port  66  and the ink outlet port  70  before being inserted into the insertion tube  64 , the air pressure in the receiving chamber  84  will remove airlock generated between the ink inlet  66  and the ink outlet  70 . The ink thus flows to the ink inlet  66  and flows out from the ink outlet  70 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , when the ink bottle  80  is inserted into the receiving chamber  84  to communicate with the vent  68 , the ink outlet  70  being below the air vent  68  allows the ink to flow from the ink outlet  70  to the ink storage chamber  28 . The outside air can flow to the ink bottle  80  through the air guiding port  72  and the air vent  68 , so that the ink continues to flow to the ink storage chamber  28  and then flow out of the ink outlet tube  30 . Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a filter  25  is fixed in the ink storage chamber  28 . When the ink flows into the ink storage chamber  28 , the ink is filtered by the filter  25  before going to the bottom of the ink storage chamber  28  and flowing out of the ink outlet tube  30 . 
     The ink storage room  20  further includes a third side wall  32  fixed to the bottom plate  22 , the first side wall  24 , and the second side wall  26 , forming a receiving cavity  34 . The second side wall  26  defines a first ink channel  36 . The first ink channel  36  includes a first inlet  38  and a first outlet  40  communicating with the first inlet  38 . A distance between the first inlet  38  and the bottom plate  22  is greater than a distance between the first outlet  40  and the bottom plate  22 . The first inlet  38  can be positioned at an upper portion of the second side wall  26 , and the first outlet  40  can be positioned at a lower portion of the second side wall  26 . The first inlet  38  communicates with the ink storage chamber  28 , and the first outlet  40  communicates with the receiving cavity  34 . When the ink in the ink storage room  20  is located at the first inlet  38 , the first ink channel  36  guides ink into the receiving cavity  34  to prevent ink overflowing in the ink storage room  20 . 
     The ink storage chamber  20  further includes at least one fourth side wall  42  extending from an inner side of the third side wall  32  to the seat  62 . The at least one fourth side wall  42  divides the receiving cavity  34  into a number of adjacent accommodating regions  44 . The accommodating regions  44  communicate with each other. In the embodiment, the ink box  100  includes four fourth side walls  42 , and the four fourth sidewalls  42  divide the receiving cavity  34  into five accommodating regions  44 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 6 , each of the fourth side walls  42  defines a second ink channel  46 . Each of the second ink channels  46  includes a second inlet  48  and a second outlet  50  communicating with the second inlet  48 . Each of the second inlets  48  communicates with one of the accommodating regions  44 , and each of the second outlets  50  communicates with an adjacent accommodating region  44 . When the ink in one of the accommodating regions  44  is located at the second inlet  48 , the second ink channel  46  guides the ink into an adjacent one of the accommodating regions  44  to prevent the ink overflowing. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the ink box  100  further includes a sealing member  90 . The sealing member  90  is fixed on end surfaces of the first side wall  24 , the second side wall  26 , the third side wall  32 , and the fourth side wall  42  away from the bottom plate  22 . The sealing member  90  can be a heat-pressed thin film fixed to the end surfaces. An end of the first side wall  24  away from the bottom plate  22  defines a through hole  52 . The outside atmosphere can flow into the receiving cavity  34  and the ink storage chamber  28  through the through hole  52  to enter to the air guiding port  72 . 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Therefore, many commonly-known features and details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.