Printer Consumables Fuse Simulation Chip

Abstract

The present invention provides a printer consumable fuse simulation chip, which includes a first contact terminal, a second contact terminal, a power supply feeding terminal, a signal circuit, and a load circuit. Among them, the signal circuit is arranged between the first contact terminal and the power supply feeding terminal, and the signal circuit includes at least one voltage dividing resistor. The load circuit is arranged between the second contact terminal and the power supply feeding terminal, and the load circuit includes a control chip and a fuse simulation switch connected in series between the second contact terminal and the power supply feeding terminal. The control chip includes a non-fused simulation state for closing the fuse simulation switch to keep the two ends short-circuited, and a fused simulation state for opening the fuse simulation switch to keep the two ends open.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a simulation chip for a printer consumable fuse, and more particularly to a simulation chip used on a printer consumable to replace a traditional fuse. Background Art

[0002] Some printers on the market use fuses as consumable chips for printers. When the printer detects the insertion of a chip, it will apply a high voltage to the chip and burn out the fuse within a very short time as a record that the chip has been used.

[0003] The burning process of the traditional fuse chip is as Figure 1 shown. The processor 150 of the printer 100 detects the signal of the fuse chip via the detection point A and the detection point C. When no chip is installed, both the detection point A and the detection point C detected by the processor 150 are in a low potential state. When a brand-new fuse chip L1 is installed, the processor 150 provides voltage division to the load device 110 via the fuse chip L1, and the potential state of the detection point A will be increased due to resistor voltage division. At this time, the processor 150 can determine that the fuse chip L1 is in the installed state and obtain the parameters of the fuse. At this time, the processor 150 can also obtain a high potential signal via the detection point C, and the processor 150 can determine that the fuse chip L1 is a brand-new unused chip through this. After confirming that it is a new chip, the processor closes the switch unit 131, so that the large current bypasses through the loop of the switch unit 131 beside the resistor unit 132, quickly burns out the fuse L11 in the chip, and opens the switch unit 131 to the open circuit state again within a very short time after the switch unit 131 is closed. Finally, it detects whether the signal at the detection point C is in a low potential state. If so, it means that the fuse has been burned out and starts to use this printer consumable.

[0004] Since the required fuse burning voltage is low, the current is small, and it needs to be burned out in a very short time, the general fuses available on the market cannot achieve this. In addition, during the production process, as long as the fuse components are not properly placed or the solder volume is a little more, the fuse may not be burned out. Moreover, when storing the fuse products, due to the stacking of the fuse chips, the exposed fuse components are easily squeezed or scratched by external forces, resulting in a fuse open circuit. And the fuse is a one-time consumable, so it is impossible to inspect the fusing characteristics of each fuse product. Therefore, under strict application and storage conditions, using traditional fuses is not so reliable. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Since a large current must be generated to generate high heat to burn out the fuse. If the power-on time is too short or the solder on the circuit board is a little more, the generated heat is not enough to burn out the fuse. The present invention proposes to use a chip to replace the traditional fuse and improve the reliability of the product by using an analog burning method.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printer consumable fuse simulation chip, which is used to be installed on a printer to form a circuit with the printer. The printer simulation fuse simulation chip includes a first contact terminal, a second contact terminal, a power feed terminal, a signal circuit, and a load circuit. The signal circuit is arranged between the first contact terminal and the power feed terminal, and the signal circuit includes at least one voltage dividing resistor. The load circuit is arranged between the second contact terminal and the power feed terminal, and the load circuit includes a control chip and a fuse simulation switch connected in series between the second contact terminal and the power feed terminal. The control chip includes an unfused simulation state of closing the fuse simulation switch to keep the two ends short-circuited, and a fused simulation state of opening the fuse simulation switch to keep the two ends open-circuited.

[0007] Further, the control chip includes a storage unit that stores the working data of the control chip. When overcurrent occurs, the control chip determines to start the unfused simulation state or the fused simulation state according to the working data.

[0008] Further, the load circuit includes a voltage dividing and current limiting resistor arranged between the control chip and the second contact terminal. In the unfused simulation state where the simulation switch is closed, the voltage of the voltage dividing and current limiting resistor remains at a high level, and at the same time, the control chip is started and waits for and triggers the fused simulation state.

[0009] Further, the control chip includes a capacitor.

[0010] Further, when the control chip starts the unfused simulation state, it switches to the power saving mode and closes the fuse simulation switch.

[0011] Therefore, compared with the traditional fuse chip, the present invention not only has higher reliability, but also improves the production yield and reduces the technical threshold for manufacturing the traditional fuse chip. Description of the Drawings

[0012] Figure 1 , Block diagram of a conventional fuse chip and a printer.

[0013] Figure 2 , Block diagram of the fuse chip of the present invention and the printer.

[0014] Figure 3-1 , Block diagram (one) of the control flow between the fuse chip of the present invention and the printer.

[0015] Figure 3-2 , Block diagram (two) of the control flow between the fuse chip of the present invention and the printer.

[0016] Figure 3-3 , Block diagram of the control process between the fuse chip of the present invention and the printer (III).

[0017] Figure 3-4 , Block diagram of the control process between the fuse chip of the present invention and the printer (IV).

[0018] Figure 3-5 , Block diagram of the control process between the fuse chip of the present invention and the printer (V).

[0019] Symbol Explanation

[0020] 100 Printer

[0021] 101 Signal Terminal

[0022] 102 Power Supply Terminal

[0023] 103 Fuse Circuit Terminal

[0024] 110 Load Device

[0025] 131 Switch Unit

[0026] 132 Resistance Unit

[0027] 150 Processor

[0028] 200 Fuse Emulation Chip

[0029] 201 First Contact Terminal

[0030] 202 Power Feed-in Terminal

[0031] 203 Second Contact Terminal

[0032] 210 Load Circuit

[0033] 230 Load Circuit

[0034] 231 Control Chip

[0035] 232 Fuse Analog Switch

[0036] 233 Voltage Dividing and Current Limiting Resistance

[0037] 234 Capacitor

[0038] 235 Diode

[0039] Known Technology

[0040] L1 Fuse Chip

[0041] L11 Fuse

[0042] A Detection Point

[0043] C Detection Point

[0044] V1 Node

[0045] V2 Node Embodiment

[0046] The following description of the present invention is the necessary technology for those of ordinary skill in the art to easily understand this invention. As long as it does not violate the spirit and scope thereof, this invention can be variously changed and modified to adapt to different uses and situations. Thus, other embodiments are also included in the scope of the patent application.

[0047] The fuse chip of the present invention is applied to printer consumables to simulate and respond to the fuse melting mechanism of the printer, which is beneficial to the recycling and reuse of printer consumables. The printer consumables mentioned herein can be, for example, ink cartridges, toner cartridges, or any other printer-related consumable products, which are not limited in the present invention.

[0048] The fuse chip described in the present invention can be integrated on the control chip of the printer consumable. That is, the fuse chip referred to in the present invention is not necessarily a chip that only has a single function of simulating fuse melting. It can also be combined with the communication chip or control chip of the printer consumable to form a multi-functional chip. The above-mentioned integrated or separated embodiments are not limited in the present invention and must be described in advance here.

[0049] The following will provide a detailed description of the circuit and functions of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 2 , which discloses a block diagram showing the fuse chip of the present invention and the printer, as shown in the figure.

[0050] The fuse melting control circuit of the general printer 100 mainly has three terminals, which are defined as a signal terminal 101, a power supply terminal 102, and a fuse circuit terminal 103 according to the functionality of the front-end circuit. The processor 150 of the printer 100 provides the standard potential of the power supply terminal 102, detects the signal of the printer consumables via the signal terminal 101, and performs a fuse simulation operation via the fuse circuit terminal 103. Among them, when the fuse chip is installed, the power output of the power supply terminal 102 is connected to the load device 110 of the printer 100 via the output terminal 101 and then conducts with the circuit of the fuse simulation chip 200. The processor 150 will obtain a voltage-dividing signal from the output terminal 101, thereby obtaining the parameter data of the fuse simulation chip 200. The fuse circuit terminal 103 is connected to a switch unit 131 and a resistor unit 132 connected in parallel with the switch unit 131. The switch unit 131 is connected to the processor 150 of the printer 100 to be controlled to be turned on or off via the processor 150. In the normal state, the switch unit 131 is in an open (open circuit) state, and at this time, the potential is loaded on the resistor unit 132. When the fuse program is executed, the switch unit 131 is controlled to be closed via the processor 150, so that the current bypasses the loop between the switch unit 131 and the ground, and then a relatively large current passes through the fuse circuit terminal 103 via the power supply terminal 102.

[0051] The printer consumable fuse simulation chip 200 of the present invention is used to be disposed on the printer consumables and installed on the printer 100 to form a circuit with the printer 100. The printer simulation fuse simulation chip 200 includes a first contact terminal 201, a power supply input terminal 202, a second contact terminal 203, a signal circuit 210, and a load circuit 230.

[0052] Among them, when the printer consumable fuse simulation chip 200 is installed on the printer 100, the first contact terminal 201 is electrically connected to the output terminal 101, the second contact terminal 203 is electrically connected to the fuse circuit terminal 103, and the power supply input terminal 202 is electrically connected to the power supply terminal 102.

[0053] The described signal circuit 210 is disposed between the first contact terminal 201 and the power feed terminal 202. The signal circuit 210 includes at least one voltage-dividing resistor. The load circuit 230 is disposed between the second contact terminal 203 and the power feed terminal 202. The load circuit 230 includes a control chip 231 and a fuse analog switch 232 connected in series between the second contact terminal 203 and the power feed terminal 202. The control chip 231 includes a non-fused analog state and a fused analog state. In the non-fused simulation state, the control chip turns off the fuse simulation switch 232 to keep the two ends short-circuited. In the fused analog state, the control chip turns on the fuse simulation switch 232 to keep the two ends open. To supply power to the control chip 231, a capacitor 234 connected in parallel with the control chip 231 and disposed between the power feed terminal 202 and the second contact terminal 203 may be further included. When there is a voltage difference between the second contact terminal 203 and the power feed terminal 202, the capacitor 234 can be further charged. The nodes V1 and V2 at both ends of the capacitor are respectively connected to the power supply port of the control chip 231, and the control chip 231 is further powered on and started through the capacitor 234. In a preferred embodiment, to prevent the capacitor 234 from being short-circuited and consumed when the fuse analog switch 232 is closed, a diode 235 is connected in front of the capacitor 234.

[0054] When the control chip 231 starts the non-fused analog state, since the fuse analog switch 232 is in the closed state, the potentials between the power feed terminal 202 and the second contact terminal 203 are equal. The control chip 231 needs to switch to the power-saving mode to save power consumption and wait for the fuse trigger signal when the switch 131 of the printer 100 is closed. After the switch 131 of the printer 100 is closed, the voltage of the second contact terminal 203 will drop due to grounding. The control chip 231 will detect the signal drop and trigger the simulated action of the fusing operation, and finally stop at the fused analog state.

[0055] The control chip 231 can be switched between the non-fused analog state and the fused analog state according to requirements. In practice, the control chip 231 may further include a storage unit for storing the working data of the control chip 231. When powered on, the control chip 231 determines whether to start the non-fused analog state or the fused analog state according to the working data. Specifically, the working data can be parameterized according to the required conditions of the printer 100 or the conditions set by the user (such as burning time, pulse characteristics, etc.), or set according to the user's manual change (such as manual reset). This part is not limited in the present invention.

[0056] The following will describe in detail the cooperation relationship between the printer and the fuse chip of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Please refer to Figures 3-1 to 3-5 , which discloses schematic block diagrams (1) to (5) of the control process between the fuse chip of the present invention and the printer, as shown in the figure:

[0057] At the beginning, as Figure 3-1 shown, when the printer consumables have not been installed, the processor 150 detects a low potential state through the node of the output terminal 101 and the fuse circuit terminal 103. At this time, the processor 150 determines that the printer consumables are not installed on the printer 100 and does not perform any actions.

[0058] Subsequently, as Figure 3-2 shown, when the printer consumables are installed on the printer, the terminals of the fuse simulation chip 200 are electrically connected to the terminals of the printer 100, and the potential of the output terminal 101 is increased due to resistor voltage division. The printer 100 confirms that the printer consumables have been installed. At this time, since the fuse analog switch 232 is open, there will be a potential difference between the power input terminal 202 and the second contact terminal 203 due to the presence of the resistor unit 132. At this time, the control chip 231 can obtain power therefrom and store the power in the capacitor 234.

[0059] During the short period of obtaining power, the control chip 231 is powered on and starts. At this time, the control chip 231 determines whether to turn on the blown simulation state or the non-blown simulation state according to the working data in the storage unit.

[0060] When the printer 100 and the fuse simulation chip 200 are used for the first time in pair, initially the control chip 231 operates in the non-blown simulation state. As Figure 3-3 shown, at this time the control chip 231 controls the fuse analog switch 232 to close and switches the control chip 231 to the power-saving mode. At this time, the potentials of the power input terminal 202 and the second contact terminal 203 are equal.

[0061] Subsequently, as Figure 3-4 shown, when the printer 100 executes the fusing program, the processor 150 of the printer 100 will turn off the switch unit 131. At this time, a large amount of current will pass through the fuse analog switch 232, and a sufficient potential difference will be generated through the voltage-dividing and current-limiting resistor 233 to trigger the control chip 231.

[0062] After the control chip 231 is awakened, as Figure 3-5As shown, the control chip 231 controls the fuse analog switch 232 to turn on. After the default burning time of the printer 100, the processor 150 turns on the switch unit 131. At this time, the printer 100 detects that the node of the fuse circuit terminal 103 is at a low potential, feeds back the message that the feedback fuse has been blown, and completes the simulation of the fuse blowing.

[0063] In summary, the present invention has the following advantageous effects compared with traditional fuse chips: (1) higher reliability; (2) consistent mass production characteristics; (3) the fuse blowing test can be implemented without damaging the chip; (4) the technical threshold of the production line is reduced and the production yield is greatly improved; (5) the product characteristics can be parameterized to meet the requirements of different models and markets. The present invention has been described in detail above. However, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of implementation of the present invention cannot be limited thereby. That is, all equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

Claims

1. A printer consumable fuse simulation chip for installation on a printer to form a circuit with the printer. The printer consumable fuse simulation chip includes: A first contact terminal; A second contact terminal; A power feed-in terminal; A signal circuit disposed between the first contact terminal and the power feed-in terminal. The signal circuit includes at least one voltage-dividing resistor. When the printer consumable fuse simulation chip forms a circuit with the printer, the at least one voltage-dividing resistor raises the potential of the output terminal of the printer through voltage division, so that the printer obtains a voltage-divided signal to confirm that the printer consumable has been installed; and A load circuit disposed between the second contact terminal and the power feed-in terminal. The load circuit includes a control chip and a fuse simulation switch connected in series between the second contact terminal and the power feed-in terminal. The control chip includes an unfused simulation state in which the fuse simulation switch is turned off to keep the two ends short-circuited, and a fused simulation state in which the fuse simulation switch is turned on to keep the two ends open.

2. The printer consumable fuse simulation chip according to claim 1, wherein, The control chip includes a storage unit that stores the working data of the control chip. When overcurrent occurs, the control chip determines to start the unfused simulation state or the fused simulation state according to the working data.

3. The printer consumable fuse simulation chip according to claim 1, wherein, The load circuit includes a voltage-dividing and current-limiting resistor disposed between the control chip and the second contact terminal. When a high-level current is fed into the power feed-in terminal, the voltage-dividing and current-limiting resistor raises the single-end potential on the control chip side to start the control chip and trigger the fused simulation state.

4. The printer consumable fuse simulation chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes a capacitor connected in parallel with the control chip between the power feed-in terminal and the second contact terminal.

5. The printer consumable fuse simulation chip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, When the control chip starts the unfused simulation state, it switches to the power-saving mode and turns off the fuse simulation switch.

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