Chip module of toner cartridge
By designing a toner cartridge chip module with multiple two contact ends, the problem of poor contact between the chip module and the reading head in the electronic imaging device is solved, and the effect of stabilizing electrical connection and reducing manufacturing costs is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202311355127.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-22
AI Technical Summary
After multiple connections of the toner cartridge chip modules in the existing electronic imaging device, the communication guide and the grounding guide will deform, resulting in poor contact between the chip module and the reading head.
A chip module of a toner cartridge is designed, which includes a substrate, a memory and a majority of terminals. Each terminal has two contact ends, which can be electrically connected to the guide plate of the reading head to ensure stable contact. The structure of this module achieves rapid assembly and reduces manufacturing costs through the design of terminal fixing frame and positioning seat.
This design ensures a stable electrical connection between the toner cartridge chip module and the reading head of the electronic imaging device, avoids the problem of poor contact, and reduces manufacturing costs and reduces consumer burden.
Smart Images
Figure CN119864658A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to an electronic imaging device, in particular to a chip module of a toner cartridge. Background Art
[0002] Generally, electronic imaging devices such as copiers or printers are provided with a replaceable toner cartridge inside. A chip module is provided at the front end of the toner cartridge for contacting with a reading head of the electronic imaging device to communicate relevant information. The reading head has a base, a plurality of communication guides and a grounding guide. In order to ensure that the chip module and the reading head are aligned accurately, a protrusion is provided on the base, the grounding guide is provided on both side edges of the protrusion, and the communication guides are respectively provided on both sides of the protrusion. Relatively speaking, the chip module has a plurality of terminals that can be overlapped with the communication guides and the grounding guide to transmit information to each other.
[0003] Since the toner cartridge is a consumable material, it needs to be replaced when the toner is used up. After the reader head is assembled multiple times, the communication guides and the grounding guides will inevitably be slightly deformed, causing poor contact between the chip module and the reader head. Therefore, how to design the structure of the chip module to ensure that each new toner cartridge inserted can be accurately aligned with the reader head of the electronic imaging device to avoid poor contact, while reducing manufacturing costs to alleviate the burden on consumers has become a technical problem that the industry is working hard to overcome. Summary of the invention
[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a chip module for a toner cartridge that can ensure electrical connection with a reading head of an electronic imaging device to avoid poor contact. Another object of the present invention is to provide a chip module for a toner cartridge that can reduce manufacturing costs to alleviate the burden on consumers.
[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the chip module of the toner cartridge of the present invention comprises a substrate, a memory and a plurality of terminals, the substrate is provided with a plurality of circuits, the memory is provided on the substrate and electrically connected to the circuits, the terminals are arranged at intervals from each other and each terminal comprises a connecting portion provided on the substrate and electrically connected to the circuits, and two contact ends electrically connected to the connecting portion, the two contact ends are spaced from each other. Since each terminal has two contact ends that can be electrically connected to the guide plate of the reading head of the electronic imaging device, it can ensure that the reading head of the electronic imaging device is electrically connected to avoid poor contact. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of a toner cartridge chip module and a reading head separated from each other in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0007] Figure 2A front view of a preferred embodiment of a toner cartridge when the chip module is engaged with the reading head;
[0008] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of
[0009] Figures 4-5 An exploded perspective view of a chip module of a toner cartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0010] Figures 6-7 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional views of different sections.
[0011]
Explanation of symbols
[0012] 1 chip module
[0013] 2Toner Cartridge 3Reading Head 4Base
[0014] 5 Communication guide 6 Ground guide 7 Boss
[0015] 8 exposed part 9 flank
[0016] 10 substrate 12 circuit 14 through hole
[0017] 16 contacts
[0018] 18 Memory
[0019] 20 Terminal 20a Ground terminal 20b Transmission terminal
[0020] 21 connection part 22 base part
[0021] 23 extension arm 24 contact end
[0022] 26 abutment surface 28 hook
[0023] 30 terminal fixing frame 31 bottom plate 32 first side
[0024] 33 second side 34 extension plate
[0025] 35 first bezel 36 second bezel
[0026] 37 through slot 38 elastic hook arm
[0027] 40 positioning seat 42 accommodation space DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] The following is a detailed description of the technical content and features of the present invention through a preferred embodiment with accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 5As shown, a chip module 1 of a toner cartridge provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided. The chip module 1 is arranged at the front end of a toner cartridge 2, and is used to overlap with a reading head 3 of an electronic imaging device (not shown) to transmit information between the toner cartridge 2 and the electronic imaging device. The reading head 3 has a base 4, three communication guides 5 and a grounding guide 6. The base 4 has a protrusion 7 located between the three communication guides 5, and the two exposed portions 8 of the grounding guide 6 are arranged on the opposite side walls of the protrusion 7. The communication guides 5 are L-shaped with an acute angle and have two side wings 9. The communication guides 5 and the grounding guides 6 can be subjected to force and produce elastic deformation. The chip module 1 includes a substrate 10, a memory 18, four terminals 20, a terminal fixing frame 30 and a positioning seat 40.
[0029] The substrate 10 is provided with a plurality of circuits 12 and has four through holes 14 . The inner wall of each through hole 14 is provided with a contact 16 . The memory 18 is provided on one side of the substrate 10 and electrically connected to the circuits 12 . The memory 18 stores the relevant information of the toner cartridge 2 .
[0030] The four terminals 20 are in the form of sheets and are arranged in parallel with each other. Each of the terminals 20 includes a connecting portion 21 for being arranged on the substrate 10 and electrically connected to the circuits 12, a base 22 extending from the connecting portion 21, two extending arms 23 extending from two ends of the base 22, two contact end portions 24 extending from the ends of the two extending arms 23 in opposite directions, and two hooks 28 extending from the ends of the two extending arms 23 in opposite directions. The connecting portion 21 is inserted into the through hole 14 of the substrate 10 and is electrically connected to the contact 16. The base 22 is divided into two parts extending from the connecting portion 21 in opposite directions. The two extending arms 23 are parallel to each other. The two contact ends 24 are electrically connected to the connecting portion 21 through the two extending arms 23 and the base 22. The two contact ends 24 are spaced apart from each other. The two contact ends 24 respectively have a contact surface 26. The two contact surfaces 26 are not parallel to each other. The angle between the two contact surfaces 26 is about 70° to 80°. In other embodiments, the connecting portion 21 can also be electrically connected to the circuit 12 of the substrate 10 by welding. In this way, the substrate 10 can also omit the through holes 14 and the contacts 26. The base 22 and / or the two extending arms 23 can also be omitted or replaced by other structures, as long as the two contact ends 24 are electrically connected to the connecting portion 21.
[0031] The terminal fixing frame 30 includes a bottom plate 31, two extension plates 34 extending from a first side 32 of the bottom plate 31 in parallel with each other, eight first embedding grooves 35 provided on opposite inner sides of the two extension plates 34 for accommodating the extension arms 23 of the terminals 20, four second embedding grooves 36 provided on a second side 33 of the bottom plate 31 for accommodating the bases 22 of the terminals 20, eight through grooves 37 penetrating the first side 32 and the second side 33 of the bottom plate 31 and allowing the extension arms 23 to pass through, and three elastic hook arms 38 extending from the bottom plate 31 in parallel with each other in a direction opposite to the two extension plates 34, wherein the first side 32 and the second side 33 are located on opposite sides of the bottom plate 31.
[0032] When assembling the terminals 20 to the terminal holder 30, the two extension arms 23 of each terminal 20 are slightly pressed inwards and passed through the through slots 37 from the second side 33 and accommodated in the first embedding slots 35. When the terminals 20 are positioned, the two extension arms 23 are slightly stretched outwards due to the elastic force so that the hooks 28 are hooked on the terminal holder 30, so that the terminals 20 and the terminal holder 30 are firmly combined together. At this time, the bases 22 are just accommodated in the second embedding slots 36. In this way, the relative positions of the terminals 20 can be fixed. When the terminal holder 30 is moved close to the substrate 10, the connecting portions 21 of the terminals 20 can be correctly extended into the through holes 14 and electrically connected with the contacts 16. In this way, not only the assembly is fast, but also there is no need to align and weld each terminal 20 with the through holes 14 of the substrate 10 one by one. Since the actual alignment and welding process is quite time-consuming and labor-intensive, the present invention can effectively reduce the manufacturing cost.
[0033] The positioning seat 40 is sleeved on the front section of the toner cartridge 2. The positioning seat 40 has a receiving space 42 for receiving the substrate 10 and the memory 18. When the terminal fixing frame 30 is hooked on the positioning seat 40 by the elastic hook arms 38, the positioning seat 40 and the terminal fixing frame 30 are connected together and the substrate 10 and the memory 18 are sandwiched therebetween, thereby the chip module 1 can be fixed on the toner cartridge 2. In other embodiments, the terminal fixing frame 30 can be connected to the positioning seat 40 by bonding, clamping or other methods.
[0034] When the toner cartridge 2 is assembled into the electronic imaging device, the chip module 1 is connected to the reading head 3. The terminals 20 can be divided into a grounding terminal 20a and three transmission terminals 20b according to their functions. The grounding terminal 20a is formed by the two contact ends 24 abutting against the two exposed portions 8 of the grounding guide 6. Figure 6 As shown, each transmission terminal 20b abuts against the two side wings 9 of each communication guide piece 5 with the abutting surfaces 26 of the two contact ends 24, as shown in FIG. Figure 7As shown, since the communication guides 5 are deformed by force, the contact surface 26 sometimes cannot abut against the side wing 9 in a surface contact manner, but it does not affect the electrical connection between the two. Since the terminals 20 each have two contact ends 24, when abutting against the communication guide 5 or the grounding guide 6, there are two electrical connections. Even if one of the contact ends 24 cannot abut correctly due to the deformation of the communication guide 5 or the grounding guide 6, there is still another contact end 24 to achieve the purpose of electrical connection. Therefore, the chip module of the present invention has the effect of ensuring electrical connection with the reading head of the electronic imaging device and avoiding poor contact.
[0035] In addition, the terminals 20 of the same shape can be connected to the communication conductors 5 and the ground conductors 6 of different shapes, without the need to use different molds to manufacture terminals of different shapes. This can also effectively reduce manufacturing costs to alleviate the burden on consumers, thereby achieving the purpose of the present invention.
[0036] Based on the design spirit of the present invention, the structure of the chip module 1 of the toner cartridge can have other changes, for example, the terminal fixing frame 30 can also be omitted or changed to other structures, as long as the relative positions of the terminals 20 can be fixed. All such easily conceivable structural changes should be covered by the scope of the patent application of the present invention.
Claims
1. A chip module for a toner cartridge, characterized in that: Contains: A substrate on which a plurality of circuits are arranged; a memory disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the circuits; and A plurality of terminals are arranged at intervals from each other and each terminal comprises a connecting portion which is arranged on the substrate and electrically connected to the circuits, and two contact ends which are electrically connected to the connecting portion and are spaced from each other.
2. The chip module of the toner cartridge as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the terminals has two extension arms electrically connected to the connection portion, and the two contact ends are respectively arranged at the ends of the two extension arms.
3. The chip module of the toner cartridge as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The two contact end portions extend toward each other from the ends of the two extension arms.
4. The chip module of the toner cartridge according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The terminal has a base extending from the connecting portion, and the two extending arms extend from two ends of the base.
5. The chip module of the toner cartridge as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a terminal fixing frame, which includes a base plate, two extension plates extending from a first side of the base plate, a plurality of first embedding grooves arranged on the two extension plates for accommodating the extension arms of the terminals, a plurality of second embedding grooves arranged on a second side of the base plate for accommodating the bases of the terminals, and a plurality of through grooves penetrating the first side and the second side of the base plate and for the extension arms to pass through, wherein the first side and the second side are located on opposite sides of the base plate.
6. The chip module of the toner cartridge according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: Two hooks are extended from the ends of the two extension arms in opposite directions and are hooked on the terminal fixing frame.
7. The chip module of a toner cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The two contact ends respectively have a contact surface, and the two contact surfaces are not parallel.
8. The chip module of a toner cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The invention also comprises a terminal fixing frame for the terminals to be embedded and fixed.
9. The chip module of the toner cartridge as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a positioning seat connected with the terminal fixing frame, and the positioning seat and the terminal fixing frame clamp the substrate and the memory therebetween.
10. The chip module of the toner cartridge according to claim 9, characterized in that: The terminal fixing frame has a plurality of elastic hook arms which are hooked on the positioning seat.
11. The chip module of the toner cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The terminal is in sheet shape.
12. The chip module of the toner cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that: It is used to overlap with a reading head of an electronic imaging device, and the reading head includes a grounding conductor and a plurality of communication conductors, wherein the terminals are composed of a grounding terminal and a plurality of transmission terminals, and the two contact ends of the grounding terminal are used to abut against the grounding conductor, and the two contact ends of each transmission terminal are used to abut against each communication conductor.