Chip and printing consumable

Abstract

The application discloses a chip and a printing consumable. The chip comprises a substrate and a second component. The substrate is provided with at least one outer terminal and at least one inner terminal. The outer terminal is used for abutting against at least one of the contact pins. The inner terminal is not used for abutting against the contact pins. At least a part of the second component is capable of conducting electricity. The second component is electrically connected with the substrate. At least a part of the second component is located in a recess of a receiving part of the printing consumable. At least a part of the second component is located in the recess of the receiving part of the printing consumable. Therefore, the contact part of the contact pin and the second component has a certain surface difference. The printing consumable can be limited to deviate along the width direction. The interval between the terminals is formed. The short circuit condition is reduced. The stability of the connection between the chip and the contact pin frame is improved. The stability and reliability of the contact are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of image forming technology or printer technology, specifically to a chip and printing consumables. Background Technology

[0002] Some printing consumables, such as certain models of ink cartridges, require a locking mechanism or similar structure to ensure accurate positioning in the plumb line / installation direction. However, in the horizontal direction, because the mounting mechanism provides a certain width allowance for each printing consumable's (e.g., ink cartridge) mounting position, a slight misalignment can still occur in the width direction after the consumable (e.g., ink cartridge) is installed. The chips acting as electrical connection components on these printing consumables (e.g., ink cartridges) typically have terminals with relatively small widths. This slight misalignment in the width direction can affect the electrical connection between the terminals and the printer, rendering the printing consumable (e.g., ink cartridge) unusable.

[0003] Originally, the stylus holder on the printer side could suppress the width deviation of printing consumables (such as ink cartridges) by having the stylus, which deforms elastically, press against the chip. However, some printer manufacturers have upgraded the corresponding printing consumable chips from 7-contact or 9-contact chips to flat 5-contact chips. With the substrate shape and size remaining basically unchanged, the number of contacts in the upgraded chips has been significantly reduced and the distribution is extremely uneven, making it even more difficult to suppress the width deviation of printing consumables (such as ink cartridges). Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the problems existing in the prior art, the main objective of this application is to provide a chip and printing consumable that can prevent itself from shifting in the width direction within the mounting position by means of the cooperation between the chip and the stylus holder.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application specifically adopts the following technical solution: This application provides a chip for mounting on printing consumables, the printing consumables being detachably mounted on a printer equipped with styluses; the printing consumables include a receiving portion, the chip being mounted on the receiving portion, the receiving portion including a recessed portion; the chip includes: A substrate having at least one external terminal and at least one internal terminal, wherein the external terminal is used to abut against at least one of the contact pins, and the internal terminal is not used to abut against the contact pin; The second component, at least a portion of which is conductive and electrically connected to the substrate, is located in a recess.

[0006] In some embodiments, the second component has an abutment portion that contacts the inner terminal, and the second component also has an extension portion that protrudes along the Y direction from the edge side of the substrate.

[0007] In some embodiments, the second component includes a connecting ridge, one end of which is configured as the abutment portion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the substrate has a front surface and a rear surface, the epitaxial portion is deformable or movable in a direction from the front surface to the rear surface, and the epitaxial portion is provided with an external contact portion.

[0009] In some embodiments, the second component has a notch or reserved area not covered by the substrate, the substrate having a front surface and a rear surface, the notch or the reserved area penetrating the front surface and the rear surface, and the external contact protruding from the notch or the reserved area.

[0010] In some embodiments, the external terminal includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, wherein the first terminal is a data terminal, the second terminal is a clock terminal, the third terminal is a power terminal, and the fourth terminal is a reset terminal, and the extension portion or the external contact portion is used to receive ground voltage.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first terminal has a first contact portion, the second terminal has a second contact portion, the third terminal has a third contact portion, and the fourth terminal has a fourth contact portion; The line S2 connecting the first contact portion and the fourth contact portion is parallel to the line S1 connecting the second contact portion and the third contact portion, and the line S1 and the line S2 are straight lines located on the front surface.

[0012] In some embodiments, the external terminal is provided with a contact portion that abuts against the stylus, and the projections of each contact portion and the external contact portion on the mounting direction of the printing consumable or the chip onto the printer are not on the same straight line.

[0013] In some embodiments, the inner terminal can be connected to one of the data pins or the ground pins in the contact pins via the outer contact portion.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second component is made of metal, conductive plastic, conductive silicone, or conductive ceramic.

[0015] Accordingly, this application also provides a printing consumable, which includes a housing and a chip as described in any of the above embodiments. The housing has a receiving portion, and the chip is mounted on the receiving portion. The chip includes a substrate and a second component, at least a portion of which is conductive and is electrically connected to the substrate.

[0016] In some embodiments, the substrate has at least one external terminal and at least one internal terminal, the external terminal being used to abut against at least one of the styluses, and the internal terminal not being used to abut against the styluses; the internal terminal is in contact with the second component.

[0017] In some embodiments, the receiving portion is provided with a conductive element, and the second component and the inner terminal are electrically connected through the conductive element.

[0018] Compared to existing technologies, the printing consumables of this application include a receiving portion, on which a chip is mounted, and the receiving portion includes a recessed portion; the chip includes a substrate and a second component, the substrate having at least one external terminal and at least one internal terminal, the external terminal being used to abut against at least one of the styluses, and the internal terminal not being used to abut against the styluses; at least a portion of the second component is conductive, and the second component is electrically connected to the substrate, with at least a portion of the second component located in the recessed portion. Because this application includes a second component, with at least a portion of the second component located in a recess, when the chip is in operation, the probe abuts against the substrate and the second component respectively. At this time, the second component increases the conductive area that can contact the probe, maximizing the chip's functionality; or it can form a gap or blockage between terminals, thereby reducing the occurrence of short circuits; or the contact portion between the probe and the substrate and the contact portion between the probe and the second component have a certain surface difference, thereby limiting the offset of the printing consumable along its width direction, thus improving the stability of the connection between the chip and the probe holder, and reducing the risk of short circuits between the chip's terminals during use; simultaneously, the different deformation amplitudes / compression forces between the probes after the chip or printing consumable is installed improve the stability and reliability of the contact. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure to be installed on the mounting section.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the stylus holder.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first stylus.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a diagram of the chip structure in the existing technology.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the ink cartridge embodiment one of this application.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a front view of the chip in the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of this application.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a rear view of the chip in the first embodiment of the ink cartridge of this application.

[0026] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the chip structure of the ink cartridge embodiment one of this application.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the ink cartridge embodiment two of this application.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a partial structural diagram of the ink cartridge embodiment 2 of this application after the chip has been removed.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a structural diagram of the chip and the stylus in Embodiment 2 of the ink cartridge of this application.

[0030] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge and stylus of Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0031] Figure 13 This is a structural schematic diagram of the ink cartridge and stylus from another angle according to Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0032] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the stylus, chip, and chip holder of Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0033] Figure 15 This is another structural schematic diagram of the stylus, chip, and chip holder according to Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0034] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the ink cartridge and stylus in a modified embodiment of Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0035] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the chip structure according to a modified embodiment of Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0036] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the chip structure according to another modified embodiment of Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0037] Figure 19 This is a front view of the chip structure according to Embodiment 4 of this application.

[0038] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the back structure of the chip in Embodiment 4 of this application.

[0039] Figure 21 This is an exploded view of the chip structure according to Embodiment 4 of this application.

[0040] Figure 22 This is a front view of the chip structure corresponding to another embodiment of Embodiment 4 of this application.

[0041] Figure 23 This is a back-side structure diagram of a chip corresponding to another embodiment of Embodiment 4 of this application.

[0042] Figure 24 This is an exploded view of the chip structure corresponding to another embodiment of Embodiment 4 of this application.

[0043] Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip and electrical connection provided in Embodiment 5 of this application, which is intended to be installed on the ink cartridge.

[0044] Figure 26 This is a schematic diagram of the chip structure provided in Embodiment 5 of this application.

[0045] Figure 27 This is a partial structural diagram of the electrical connection portion provided in Embodiment 5 of this application.

[0046] Figure 28 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip and electrical connection portion provided in Embodiment Six of this application, mounted on a chip holder.

[0047] Figure 29 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip and electrical connection provided in Embodiment 7 of this application installed on the ink cartridge.

[0048] Figure 30 This is a schematic diagram of the external surface structure of the chip and electrical connection part after installation, as provided in Embodiment 7 of this application.

[0049] Figure 31 This is a schematic diagram of the back surface structure of the chip and electrical connection portion after installation, as provided in Embodiment 7 of this application.

[0050] Figure 32 This is a schematic diagram of the chip holder provided in Embodiment 7 of this application.

[0051] Figure 33 This is an exploded view of the chip and electrical connection portion provided in Embodiment 7 of this application, which are intended to be mounted on a chip carrier.

[0052] Figure 34 This is a schematic diagram of the chip and electrical connections provided in Embodiment 7 of this application, mounted on a chip holder.

[0053] Figure 35 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip and electrical connection provided in Embodiment 8 of this application, which is intended to be installed on the ink cartridge. Detailed Implementation

[0054] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0055] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance; unless otherwise specified or explained, the term "multiple" refers to two or more, and the term "various types" refers to two or more; the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0056] In the description of this specification, it should be understood that the directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" used in the embodiments of this application are used to describe the angles shown in the accompanying drawings and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, in the context, it should also be understood that when it is mentioned that an element is connected "upper" or "lower" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element "upper" or "lower," or indirectly connected to the other element "upper" or "lower" through an intermediate element.

[0057] In the prior art, the main body of the chip is a substrate, on which a memory, terminals, and electronic components are provided. The substrate has a built-in printed circuit, which is used to connect the terminals and electronic components to the memory. The memory is used to store information such as manufacturer information, ink volume information, ink cartridge type information, and ink color. The electronic components and the memory work together to complete the operation of the chip's internal program, so that the chip can complete the corresponding work and realize the corresponding function. When the ink cartridge is installed in the ink cartridge mounting part of the printer, the memory and the printer will perform data transmission, confirmation, and data interaction, and the two will complete the above work through the connection between the terminals and the contact pins on the printer side.

[0058] Reference Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the ink cartridge 10 to be installed on the ink cartridge mounting section 90. Printing consumables are frequently replaced parts of a printer (also known as a printing device), and chip 20 is a component of the printing consumables. Printing consumables can be consumable boxes, ink cartridges, toner cartridges, ribbons, etc., and chip 20 can be a chip on a consumable box, ink cartridge, toner cartridge, or ribbon. Figure 1 The printing consumables mentioned are ink cartridges, so the following text will use "ink cartridge" as an example to explain the relevant content.

[0059] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, the ink cartridge mounting section 90 is a component on the printer used to hold one or more ink cartridges 10. The ink cartridge 10 is detachably mounted into the ink cartridge mounting section 90 along the mounting direction P. When the ink cartridge 10 is used up, a new ink cartridge needs to be replaced. The ink cartridge 10 includes a chip 20, a handle 30, an ink outlet 40, and a cartridge body 50. The ink cartridge mounting section 90 has a pin holder 91, an ink supply section 92, an opening 95, and a bottom wall 90a. The ink cartridge 10 is mounted into the ink cartridge mounting section 90 along the mounting direction P through the opening 95. The cartridge body 50 stores ink, which reaches the ink supply section 92 through the ink outlet 40. The ink supply section 92 then supplies the ink to the print head, allowing the ink to be used for printing. The chip 20 has a terminal group that can make contact with the pins 91a of the pin holder 91 for electrical connection and transmission of electrical signals. The handle 30 is used to secure the ink cartridge 10 to the ink cartridge mounting part 90 and prevent the ink cartridge 10 from coming out of the ink cartridge mounting part 90.

[0060] A three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, i.e., the XYZ axis coordinate system, is established. The three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system of the ink cartridge 10 is consistent with the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system of the ink cartridge mounting part 90. Taking the direction in which the ink cartridge 10 is installed into the ink cartridge mounting part 90 as the -Z axis direction (i.e., the installation direction P), the direction in which the ink cartridge 10 is removed from the ink cartridge mounting part 90 is the +Z axis direction. The opening 95 is located in the +Z axis direction, the bottom wall 90a is located in the -Z axis direction, and the Y direction is the width direction of the ink cartridge. Under normal circumstances, the printer is placed flat on an office desk or printing table. The opening 95 of the ink cartridge mounting part 90 is located above the direction of gravity, and the bottom wall 90a is located below the direction of gravity, which facilitates the user's installation or removal of the ink cartridge 10. Furthermore, the ink cartridge mounting part 90 can support multiple or one ink cartridge 10, and has multiple or one mounting positions. The four ink cartridges can store four different colors of ink, such as black, yellow, blue, and red.

[0061] Specifically, the ink cartridge mounting part 90 is an approximately cuboid or cube-shaped component with an opening 95. The inner sidewall and bottom wall 90a of the ink cartridge mounting part 90 constitute the mounting positions. The stylus holder 91 is mounted on the first sidewall 90c of the ink cartridge mounting part 90. The mounting positions are arranged sequentially in the Y-axis direction, with four mounting positions arranged sequentially in the Y-axis direction. The direction perpendicular to both the Y and Z axes is the X-axis direction. The direction pointing from the inside of the ink cartridge mounting part 90 to the stylus holder 91 is the +X-axis direction. The +X-axis is perpendicular to the first sidewall 90c. When viewed along the +X-axis direction, in the YZ plane, when the +Z-axis is above, the +Y-axis direction is on the left.

[0062] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the stylus holder 91. Figure 2As shown, the stylus holder 91 includes a base 910 and multiple styluses mounted on the base 910, namely, a first stylus 911, a second stylus 912, a third stylus 913, a fourth stylus 914, and a fifth stylus 915. The styluses are thin, sheet-like metal plates that provide conductivity and are not easily worn. The base 910 has multiple slits, namely, a first slit 981, a second slit 982, a third slit 983, a fourth slit 984, and a fifth slit 985. Each slit corresponds to a stylus, and each slit is U-shaped with an opening in the +Z axis direction. The styluses are installed into each slit through the opening along the -Z axis direction. Specifically, the first stylus 911 is installed into the first slit 981 through the opening along the -Z axis direction; the installation method of the second to fifth styluses 912 is the same and will not be repeated here.

[0063] During printer operation, one side of each of the multiple contact pins is connected to the main circuit of the inkjet printer via the circuitry inside the ink cartridge mounting section 90, and the other side is connected to the chip 20. The structures of the first contact pin 911 through the fifth contact pin 915 are identical, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown. Taking the first contact pin 911 as an example, the first contact pin 911 includes a first part 911a, a second part 911b, and a third part 911c. The first part 911a is used to connect with the chip 20, the second part 911b is used to connect with the internal circuit of the inkjet printer, and the third part 911c is connected with the first part 911a and the second part 911b.

[0064] The third part 911c is located in the +Z axis direction of the first stylus 911. The first stylus 911 is fixed to the first slit 981 by the third part 911c or a portion of the third part 911c (e.g., the horizontal portion 911h of the third part 911c). The first part 911a and the second part 911b are located at the ends of the first stylus 911 in the -Z axis direction, allowing the first part 911a and the second part 911b to be elastically deformable and easily return to their original shape after deformation. The first part 911a of the first stylus 911 is located in the -X axis direction, and the second part 911b is located in the +X axis direction. The first part 911a and the second part 911b protrude from the base 910, while the third part 911c does not protrude from the base 910. Further, the first part 911a and the second part 911b protrude from the base 910 in the X axis direction, and the base 910 is located between the first part 911a and the second part 911b. The first part 911a is closer to the mounting position than the second part 911b. The third part 911c is divided into a first vertical part 911k and a second vertical part 911j perpendicular to the X-axis, and a horizontal part 911h parallel to the X-axis. The horizontal part 911h connects the first vertical part 911k and the second vertical part 911j. The first vertical part 911k and the second vertical part 911j extend along the mounting direction (i.e., the Z-axis direction) parallel to the ink cartridge mounting part. The first vertical part 911k is closer to the mounting position than the second vertical part 911j. The end of the first vertical part 911k connects to the first part 911a, and the end of the second vertical part 911j connects to the second part 911b. The horizontal part 911h or the first vertical part 911k and the second vertical part 911j are fixed to the first slit 981 in the +Z-axis direction. The first part 911a is located at the end of the first stylus 911. The first part 911a of the first contact pin 911 is electrically connected to the chip 20, forming a contact area; the second part 911b is connected to the circuitry within the inkjet printer. The first part 911a includes a first surface portion 911a1, a second surface portion 911a2, a third surface portion 911a3, and a fourth surface portion 911a4. The third surface portion 911a3 and the fourth surface portion 911a4 are arranged opposite each other along the Y direction, and the area enclosed by the first surface portion 911a1 and the second surface portion 911a2 forms a ridge region. The first vertical portion 911k is a vertical region, while the second part 911b is another ridge region, and the second vertical portion 911j is another vertical region. The second contact pins 912 to the fifth contact pin 915 have the same arrangement and structure as the first contact pin 911, and their detailed illustrations and descriptions will not be provided here.

[0065] See Figure 1 , 4As shown, the chip 20 used in the ink cartridge 10 includes a substrate 21a, and the substrate 21a has five terminals 23e on the outer plane 22d away from the cartridge body 50.

[0066] In this figure, the first terminal 231, the second terminal 232, the third terminal 233 and the fourth terminal 234 are located on the -Y side of the outer surface, and the fifth terminal 235 is located on the +Y side of the outer surface. The contact portions of the second terminal, the third terminal and the fifth terminal are located on a straight line L1 parallel to the Y axis, and the contact portions of the first terminal and the fourth terminal are located on a straight line L2 parallel to the Y axis. The straight line L2 is located on the +Z side of the straight line L1. In the figure, the contact portions of the corresponding terminals are indicated by the shaded area in the middle of the terminal.

[0067] The first terminal 231 to the fifth terminal 235 are all located on the outer plane 22d, and the distance between the end faces of these five terminals and the outer plane 22d is equal. Therefore, the contact portions of the first terminal 231 to the fifth terminal 235 are in the same plane. In addition, the dimensions of these five terminals are also relatively similar, and their lengths in the Z-axis direction are significantly greater than their lengths in the Y-axis direction. Even a small offset of the ink cartridge 10 in the Y-direction may affect the electrical connection between the terminals and the printer, causing the ink cartridge 10 to malfunction. The first terminal 231 to the fourth terminal 234 are all located on the -Y side of the outer plane 22d and are relatively close in position, while the fifth terminal 235 is located on the +Y side of the outer plane 22d and is farther away from the first terminal 231 to the fourth terminal 234. In the installed state, the contact pins that contact the chip 20 undergo elastic deformation, and when the ink cartridge 10 as a whole has a tendency to move in the Y direction, they can generate static friction force to suppress the movement of the ink cartridge 10 in the Y direction. However, there are only 5 contact pins (i.e., the first contact pin 911 to the fifth contact pin 915 mentioned above), and the contact portions of the first terminal 231 to the fifth terminal 235 are all in the same plane. Therefore, the deformation amplitude of the 5 contact pins is basically the same and the static friction force they can provide is small. The number of terminals is small and the distribution is extremely uneven, which is insufficient to suppress the offset of the chip 20 / ink cartridge 10 in the Y direction of the installation position.

[0068] Example 1 The chips involved in the following embodiments all cooperate with the aforementioned pin holder 91, and the functions of the corresponding terminals are the same as those of the first terminal 231 to the fifth terminal 235. The specific implementation of this embodiment is briefly described below: See Figures 5 to 8The ink cartridge 400 includes a cartridge body 410 and a chip 300. The cartridge body 410 has a receiving portion 411 that mates with the chip 300. The chip 300 includes a substrate 310, with the largest surface area of ​​the substrate 310 designated as a front surface 310a. At least one external terminal 320 is provided on the front surface 310a of the substrate 310, which is used to abut against a contact pin. A surface on the substrate 310 parallel to the front surface 310a is designated as a rear surface 310b, which has at least one internal terminal 330 that is not used to abut against a contact pin. The ink cartridge 400 / chip 300 also includes a second component (in this embodiment, the second component is a conductive element 500) for connecting the corresponding contact pin on the printer side to the internal terminal 330. In some embodiments, the conductive element may also be a chip carrier. The conductive element 500 is located between the receiving portion 411 and the substrate 310. The conductive element 500 includes an abutting portion 510 that abuts against the inner terminal 330 and an outer contact portion 520 that engages with a corresponding stylus on the printer side. The conductive element 500 has an extended portion 530 that does not overlap with the substrate 310, and the outer contact portion 520 is located on the side of the extended portion 530 facing the rear surface 310b. The conductive element 500 is electrically connected to the chip 300, therefore the conductive element 500 can be considered as part of the chip 300. The conductive element 500 can also be considered as part of the housing 410. For example, the conductive element 500 is located between the receiving portion 411 and the substrate 310 and acts as a chip support for fixing or abutting at least a portion of the substrate 310.

[0069] In this embodiment, the inner terminal 330 is disposed on the rear surface 310b, and the conductive element 500 is soldered to the rear surface 310b, thereby causing at least a portion of the conductive element 500 to be located on the -X-axis side of the rear surface 310b. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the inner terminal 330 may also be disposed on the front surface 310a, and the conductive element 500 may be soldered to the front surface 310a, thereby causing at least a portion of the conductive element 500 to be located on the +X-axis side of the front surface. Since the outer contact 520 is located outside the conductive element 500 and has a certain surface difference with the outer terminal 320, by optimizing the shape and size of the substrate 310, the relative movement between the ink cartridge 400 / chip 300 and the contact pin corresponding to the outer contact 520 in the width direction (i.e., the Y direction) can be limited. Because of the inclusion of a second component with an epitaxial portion that does not overlap with the substrate, when the chip is in operation, the probe contacts both the substrate and the epitaxial portion. The epitaxial portion increases the conductive area that can contact the probe, maximizing the chip's functionality. Alternatively, it can create gaps or blockages between terminals, reducing the occurrence of short circuits. Furthermore, the contact area between the probe and the substrate, and between the probe and the epitaxial portion, has a certain surface difference, limiting the offset of the printing consumable along its width direction. This improves the stability of the connection between the chip and the probe holder, and reduces the risk of short circuits between the chip's terminals during use. Simultaneously, the different deformation amplitudes / compression forces between the probes after chip or printing consumable installation enhance the stability and reliability of the contact.

[0070] In this embodiment, the chip 300 also includes a memory 340 and an electrical component 350 protruding from the rear surface 310b. The memory 340 is electrically connected to the electrical component 350, the external terminal 320, and the internal terminal 330. Specifically, the conductive element 500 can be disposed on the chip 300 (the conductive element 500 is considered part of the chip 300) or on the housing 410 (the conductive element 500 is considered part of the housing 410). The conductive element 500 can be made of conventional conductive materials, such as metal, conductive silicone, conductive plastic, or conductive ceramic, and only needs to serve to connect the corresponding contact pin to the internal terminal 330. On the other hand, the second component is made of metal, conductive plastic, conductive silicone, or conductive ceramic.

[0071] Figures 5 to 8This embodiment illustrates the first implementation of the present application. In this embodiment, a conductive sheet 540 fixedly disposed on a chip 300 serves as a conductive element 500. A notch 311 is provided on the +Y side of the -Z end of the substrate 310, which extends through the front surface 310a and the rear surface 310b. An inner terminal 330 is located at the edge of the notch 311. The portion of the conductive sheet 540 that overlaps with the inner terminal 330 serves as an abutment portion 510, and the portion located inside the notch 311 serves as an extension portion 530, so that the outer contact portion 520 protrudes from the notch 311, thereby allowing the contact pin to extend into the notch 311 and abut against the outer contact portion 520. Figure 7 The partial outlines of the notch 311 and the inner terminal 330 are marked with dashed lines. Figure 8 The abutment portion 510 is marked by a dashed shaded area, and the portion of the conductive sheet 540 excluding the shaded area is the extension portion 530. An inner terminal 330 is pre-reserved on the -Y side of the +Z end of the rear surface 310b, or on both the -Y and +Z sides of the rear surface 310b. The shape and size of the conductive element 500 may change; for example, the conductive element 500 may become larger to contact the inner terminal 330. In this case, the length of the conductive element 500 in the Y-axis direction is greater than half the length of the substrate 310. The conductive element 500 abuts against the inner terminal 330 and has the extension portion 530. This structure allows the conductive element 500 to be larger and easier to mount onto the chip 300 or the housing 410.

[0072] The receiving portion 411 also includes positioning posts 414, and positioning portions 312 that cooperate with the positioning posts 414 are provided on the edge of the substrate. The positioning portions 312 penetrate the front surface 310a and the rear surface 310b. In this embodiment, three positioning portions 312 are provided on the +Z side and ±Y side edges of the substrate 310, and the receiving portion 411 includes three corresponding positioning posts 414.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first terminal 360, the second terminal 370, the third terminal 380, and the fourth terminal 390 are designated as external terminals 320. Each terminal has a first contact portion 360a, a second contact portion 370a, a third contact portion 380a, and a fourth contact portion 390a. The line S2 connecting the first contact portion 360a and the fourth contact portion 390a is parallel to the line S1 connecting the second contact portion 370a and the fourth contact portion 380a. Considering that the external terminals 320 are all constructed using a partial copper plating process and only slightly protrude from the front surface 310a, S1 and S2 can be considered as straight lines on the front surface 310a. Furthermore, the projections of the contact portions of each external terminal 320 and the external contact portions 520 in the mounting direction of the printing consumables or chips onto the printer are not on the same straight line.

[0074] The functions of each terminal are roughly as follows: First terminal 131 (data terminal): used for transmitting or receiving data signals, and also used for detecting a short circuit between the first terminal 231 and at least one of the second terminal 232, the third terminal 233 or the fourth terminal 234.

[0075] Second terminal 132 (clock terminal): used to receive clock signals.

[0076] The third terminal 133 (power terminal): is used to receive a power supply potential different from the ground potential (e.g., 3.6V or 3.3V), through which power is supplied to the memory (not shown in the figure) for operation.

[0077] Fourth terminal 134 (reset terminal): used to reset the data inside the chip.

[0078] Extension portion 530 / external contact portion 520: used to receive ground potential.

[0079] In this embodiment, the conductive sheet 540 is used as the fifth terminal. The conductive sheet 540 is a flat plate attached to the rear surface 310b. Therefore, there is a certain surface difference between the outer contact 520 and the front surface 310a. In the installed state, the deformation amplitude of the stylus corresponding to the outer contact 520 on the printer side in the X direction is different from that of the stylus corresponding to the four outer terminals 320. Moreover, the projection of the outer contact 520 on the front surface 310a is not on S1, but is located on the +Z side of S1.

[0080] The substrate 310 has a left side surface 310g, a right side surface 310d, a top surface 310e, and a bottom surface 310f. The notch 311 is configured as a through-slot, which not only penetrates the front surface 310a and the rear surface 310b, but also the top surface 310e and the bottom surface 310f; that is, the notch 311 is a through-slot in the Z-axis direction. In the Z-axis direction, the size of the conductive element 500 is approximately equivalent to the size of the substrate 310. This structure allows the conductive element 500 to be larger and easier to mount onto the chip 300 or the housing 410.

[0081] When the conductive element 500 is disposed on the chip 300 (the conductive element 500 is considered part of the chip 300), the conductive element 500 is disposed on the substrate 310 by welding or bonding with conductive adhesive, and then the chip 300 is mounted to the receiving part 411 of the housing 410.

[0082] When the conductive element 500 is disposed on the housing 410 (the conductive element 500 is considered part of the housing 410), the conductive element 500 is first installed onto the receiving portion 411, and then the chip 300 is installed onto the receiving portion 411, with at least a portion fixed or abutting against the conductive element 500. When the notch 311 penetrates the front surface 310a and the rear surface 310b, and also penetrates the top surface 310e and the bottom surface 310f, it facilitates the installation of the conductive element 500 onto the housing 410 during the manufacturing process. The conductive element 500 can be configured as follows: Figure 7 or Figure 8 The flat plate shape shown can also be set to a shape with a curved surface, or it can be set to a shape formed by folding conductive material, such as folding a metal sheet. The conductive component 500 / second component can be fixedly set (e.g. Figure 8 As shown), it can also be configured in a flexible manner. Specifically, the extension portion can deform / move in the direction from the front surface 310a to the rear surface 310b. For example, it can be formed by folding a metal sheet into a partially suspended form, or by forming a lever with one end of the metal sheet suspended, or by bending a metal sheet. When the stylus contacts the conductive element 500 / the second component, because there is a gap 570 at the suspended position, the extension portion 530 / outer contact portion 520 will move towards the -X axis side / in the direction from the front surface 310a to the rear surface 310b. When the conductive element 500 is folded into a partially suspended form or is formed by forming a lever with one end of the metal sheet suspended, the outer contact portion 520 is located on the suspended side; when the stylus contacts the conductive element 500 / the second component, the extension portion 530 / outer contact portion 520 will move towards the -X axis side / in the direction from the front surface 310a to the rear surface 310b. When the conductive element 500 is formed by bending a metal sheet, the outer contact 520 is located at the apex of the bend. The conductive element 500 is designed with a certain degree of elasticity. When the stylus contacts the conductive element 500 / second component, a portion of the conductive element 500 / second component (specifically, the outer extension) deforms towards the -X axis / in the direction from the front surface 310a to the rear surface 310b. The outer contact 520 also moves with the deformation of the conductive element 500 / second component. This design can alleviate the force exerted by the stylus on the conductive element 500, thereby making the electrical connection between the conductive element 500 and the stylus more stable. The reference numeral 560 in the figure indicates the pivot.

[0083] Optionally, the second component and the box body 410 can be manufactured as an integral part or as separate parts during the production process. When the second component and the box body 410 are integral, the second component can be manufactured using a "two-color injection molding" method. For example, when the second component is made of conductive plastic, during the production of the box body 410, one barrel contains conductive raw material, and the other barrel contains ordinary raw material. After plasticization, they are injected into the mold sequentially, resulting in a single injection molded part containing two different materials, which satisfies the conductivity requirements of the second component. For example, when the second component is made of metal, it can be manufactured first and then placed into the injection mold. During the injection molding process, the metal will be non-removably embedded in the box body 410, which also satisfies the conductivity requirements of the second component. Optionally, when the second component and the box body 410 are integral, the second component is part of the box body 410, and both the second component and the box body 410 are made of conductive materials.

[0084] Since the four external terminals 320 are all located near the -Y side of the substrate 310, while the conductive sheet 540 is located near the +Y side of the substrate 310, it is farther away from the four external terminals 320. Furthermore, there is a certain surface difference between the contact portion of the external contact 520 and the contact portion of the external terminal 320. Therefore, ink droplets or conductive foreign objects are unlikely to conduct electricity between the contact portion of the external contact 520 and the contact portion of the external terminal 320. In other words, the chip 300 is less susceptible to short circuits due to external factors when installed. It is also conceivable that the conductive sheet 540 can be located on the -Y side of the substrate 310 to replace the first terminal and / or the second terminal. An internal terminal 330 is reserved on the -Y side of the +Z end of the rear surface 310b, or on both the -Y and +Z sides of the rear surface 310b. This allows the substrate 310 to create a notch next to the internal terminal 330 and then introduce the conductive sheet to replace the first terminal.

[0085] When the ink cartridge 400 shifts along the -Y direction within the ink cartridge mounting portion 90, the contact pin corresponding to the outer contact portion 520 abuts against the substrate 310 at the -Y side of the notch portion 311, thereby limiting further shift of the ink cartridge 400 along the -Y direction. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the notch portion 311 could be configured as a through slot, meaning the notch portion 311 does not extend to the +Y side edge of the substrate 310 in the Y direction. In this way, the engagement between the contact pin corresponding to the outer contact portion 520 and the substrate 310 further restricts the shift of the ink cartridge 400 along the +Y direction. This structure restricts the shift of the ink cartridge 400 / chip 300 along its own width direction and improves the connection stability between the ink cartridge 400 / chip 300 and the contact pin holder 91. Furthermore, since the outer terminal 320 and the outer contact portion are respectively disposed on the substrate and the conductive sheet, the risk of short circuits between the terminals of the ink cartridge 400 / chip 300 during use is low.

[0086] Example 2 Figures 9 to 11This embodiment illustrates a second implementation of the present application. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the second component in this embodiment is a conductive element 500. In this embodiment, a flexible conductive block 550 fixedly disposed on the receiving portion 411 serves as the conductive element 500. The receiving portion 411 has a support surface 412 that conforms to the rear surface 310b. A recess 413 is provided on the support surface 412, which accommodates the memory 340 and electrical components 350. The conductive block 550 is also located within the recess 413. The portion of the conductive block 550 that contacts the inner terminal 330 serves as an abutment portion 510, and the portion protruding from the +Y side edge of the substrate 310 serves as an extension portion 530. In a specific implementation, a barrier structure (such as a protrusion or frame structure) for limiting the conductive block 550 can be provided in the recessed portion 413, and the elastic deformation of the conductive block 550 can be used to strengthen the cooperation between the conductive block 550, the barrier structure and the chip 300. In this embodiment, the conductive block 550 is made of conductive silicone.

[0087] Furthermore, to facilitate the connection between the corresponding contact pin on the printer side and the inner terminal 330 (not shown in the figure), the conductive block 550 has a connecting protrusion 551 on the side facing the rear surface 310b. The end of the connecting protrusion 551 that abuts against the inner terminal 330 serves as an abutment portion 510, and the end of the connecting protrusion 551 that extends to the outer extension portion 530 serves as an outer contact portion 520. The connecting protrusion 551 can act like a wire, allowing the electrical signal between the corresponding contact pin on the printer side and the inner terminal 330 to be transmitted only through the connecting protrusion 551, without passing through other parts of the conductive block 550, thus helping to improve signal transmission efficiency.

[0088] The ink cartridge 400 is installed in the -Z direction (same as the aforementioned P direction). When the ink cartridge 400 shifts in the -Y direction within the ink cartridge mounting portion 90, the contact pin corresponding to the external contact portion 520 can abut against the -Y side of the substrate 310, thereby limiting the further shift of the ink cartridge 400 in the -Y direction. It is also conceivable that a notch portion 311 can be introduced on the substrate 310, referring to the previous embodiment, or even the notch portion 311 can be set as a through groove, thereby further limiting the shift of the ink cartridge 400 in the +Y direction. Furthermore, considering that the external contact portion 520 is located outside the substrate 310 and there is a certain surface difference between it and the contact portions of the four external terminals 320, ink droplets or conductive foreign objects are unlikely to conduct electricity between the external contact portion 520 and the contact portions of the external terminals 320. That is, in the installed state, the chip 300 is not easily short-circuited by external factors. Moreover, the projection of the external contact portion 520 on the front surface 310a is not on the line connecting the second contact portion 370a and the third contact portion 380a. It is also easy to imagine that the conductive block 550 can also be disposed on the -Y side of the substrate 310 to replace the first terminal and / or the second terminal.

[0089] Example 3 Reference Figure 12 , 13 As shown, in this embodiment, chip 4 has a substrate with four non-grounded terminals 5a disposed on the front surface of chip 4. These terminals are a data terminal (equivalent to the first terminal 360 in Embodiment 1), a reset terminal (equivalent to the fourth terminal 390 in Embodiment 1), a clock terminal (equivalent to the second terminal 370 in Embodiment 1), and a power terminal (equivalent to the third terminal 380 in Embodiment 1). The location of the four non-grounded terminals on the front surface of chip 4 is defined as the non-grounded terminal setting area. Chip 4 also has a grounded inner terminal (not shown in the figure) (equivalent to the inner terminal 330 in Embodiment 1), which is disposed on the rear surface of chip 4. Preferably, the grounded inner terminal (equivalent to the inner terminal 330 in Embodiment 1) can be disposed at the corresponding position and around the non-grounded terminal setting area on the rear surface of chip 4.

[0090] The inner wall of the ink cartridge mounting section 90 (equivalent to the first side wall 90c of Embodiment 1) is provided with a pin holder 91 (also called a pin section). The pin holder 91 is provided with five pins, namely the first pin 911, the second pin 92, the third pin 913, the fourth pin 914, and the fifth pin 915. Four of them correspond to the non-grounded terminal 5a on the chip 4, namely the data pin (equivalent to the first pin 911), the reset pin (equivalent to the fourth pin 914), the clock pin (equivalent to the second pin 92), and the power pin (equivalent to the third pin 913). The data pin (equivalent to the first pin 911), the reset pin (equivalent to the fourth pin 914), the clock pin (equivalent to the second pin 92), and the power pin (equivalent to the third pin 913) are collectively referred to as the non-grounded pin 22e. The other one is the grounded pin 21e (equivalent to the fifth pin 915).

[0091] When the ink cartridge 3 is installed into the ink cartridge mounting part 90 along the mounting direction, the front surface of the ink cartridge 3 faces the inner wall of the ink cartridge mounting part 90 where the stylus is located (equivalent to the first side wall 90c in Embodiment 1), so that the four non-grounded terminals 5a on the chip 4 respectively abut against four of the non-grounded stylus 22e, forming contact between them one by one, thereby making the chip 4 electrically connected to the image forming apparatus. In this embodiment, "front" refers to the direction from the ink cartridge to the stylus holder 91, and "rear" refers to the direction from the stylus holder 91 to the ink cartridge. "Front surface" refers to the surface facing the stylus holder 91, and "rear surface" refers to the surface facing away from the stylus holder 91.

[0092] In the prior art, the grounding contact 21e (equivalent to the fifth contact 915) originally directly contacts the chip to form an electrical connection. However, in this embodiment, the grounding contact 21e (equivalent to the fifth contact 915) does not directly contact the chip. Instead, an electrical connection is established between the two through the chip support 6 (equivalent to the second component in Embodiment 1, i.e., the second component in this embodiment is the chip support 6). An external contact portion (also called a grounding contact portion) is formed on the chip support 6. The chip support 6 contacts the chip's grounding inner terminal (equivalent to the inner terminal 330 in Embodiment 1) and the grounding contact 21e (equivalent to the fifth contact 915) respectively. That is, the path of the electrical connection is changed from the path in the prior art: grounding terminal on the chip - grounding contact 21e, to the path in this embodiment: grounding inner terminal of the chip - chip support 6 - grounding contact 21e. In this embodiment, the grounding contact 21e contacts the conductive part of the chip support 6, and the conductive part of the chip support 6 contacts the chip's grounding inner terminal. In this embodiment, the chip holder 6 can be entirely made of conductive material, such as metal, conductive plastic, or conductive silicone. In other embodiments, the chip holder 6 can be partially made of conductive material, as long as electrical connections can be achieved between the chip holder 6 and the grounding contact 21e and the grounding inner terminal of the chip. The chip holder 6 can partially fix / abut against the chip's substrate. The chip holder 6 can also be considered as part of the chip. The chip holder 6 also has an epitaxial portion. When the chip holder 6 is entirely made of conductive material, the chip holder 6 (equivalent to the second component in Embodiment 1) can be considered as the conductive element 500 in Embodiment 1.

[0093] The chip holder 6 has a front surface facing the stylus holder 91 of the ink cartridge mounting part 90, and a rear surface facing away from the stylus holder 91. The chip 4 is mounted on the chip holder 6 with its rear surface in close contact with the front surface of the chip holder 6. The mounting method can be adhesive, soldering, or snap-fit, etc. In this embodiment, the chip 4 is provided with a first positioning hole 41 (equivalent to the positioning part 312 in Embodiment 1), and the front surface of the chip holder 6 is provided with a first protrusion 61a (equivalent to the positioning post 414 in Embodiment 1). The chip 4 and the chip holder 6 are snap-fitted and fixed through the first positioning hole 41 and the first protrusion 61a. In other embodiments, the chip 4 can also be fixed without the first positioning hole 41, for example, by adhesive or other methods. See [reference needed]. Figure 18 Optionally, the first protrusion 61a (equivalent to the positioning post 414 in Embodiment 1) can be disposed on the housing, and the chip holder 6 is disposed between the chip 4 and the housing in an abutting / clamping manner.

[0094] After installation, the grounding inner terminal on the rear surface of chip 4 contacts the front surface of chip holder 6 and forms an electrical connection. In other embodiments, the grounding inner terminal can also be located in other positions of chip 4, such as the side. The chip holder 6 can be provided with a structure that can contact the grounding inner terminal, such as a protruding structure, or the grounding inner terminal can be electrically connected to the chip holder 6 by means of conductive adhesive or welding, as long as the electrical connection between the grounding inner terminal and the chip holder 6 can be achieved.

[0095] Chip 4 partially covers the front surface of chip holder 6, leaving a reserved area 71 (equivalent to the extension portion 530 in Embodiment 1) uncovered by chip 4. This reserved area 71 is used to contact the grounding contact pin 21e (equivalent to the fifth contact pin 915) of the ink cartridge mounting portion 90. Specifically, the area of ​​the reserved area 71 in contact with the grounding contact pin 21e is the outer contact portion, thereby realizing the electrical connection between the chip holder 6 and the grounding contact pin 21e. This method of forming contact between the chip holder 6 and the grounding contact pin 21e means that the grounding contact pin 21e is no longer limited to the contact area of ​​the grounding terminal in the prior art, but can be flexibly set in various ways, thereby increasing the conductive area in contact with the grounding contact pin 21e. Even if the ink cartridge is not installed properly or the position is deviated, the grounding function can be guaranteed to the maximum extent to prevent personal electric shock accidents and ensure the normal operation of the printer.

[0096] There are various ways to set the reserved area 71. For example, the chip 4 can have a through hole or notch at the position corresponding to the ground terminal in the prior art, so that the chip holder 6 leaves a reserved area 71 that is not covered by the chip 4 at that position. In this embodiment, see... Figures 12-13 The chip 4 has a corner notch 43 (equivalent to the notch 311 in Embodiment 1) at the position corresponding to the grounding terminal of the prior art, thereby forming a reserved area 71 to contact the grounding contact pin 21e and achieve grounding.

[0097] See Figure 14-15 When all contact points of all terminals of chip 4 are projected onto the second imaginary line C2 along the direction of the first imaginary line C1, due to the certain thickness of chip 4, there is a certain height difference between the surface of the non-grounded terminal 5a (i.e., the front surface of chip 4) and the front surface of the chip support 6. The projection points of the contact points of the four non-grounded terminals 5a and the four non-grounded pins 22e fall on the second imaginary line C2. The projection points of the contact points of the reserved area 71 and the grounded pin 21e (equivalent to the outer contact portion of Embodiment 1) fall outside the second imaginary line C2. The projection points of the contact points of the grounded pin 21e and the second imaginary line C2 form a certain distance L in the front-back direction (this distance L is the thickness of chip 4). See reference. Figure 16-17In some modified embodiments, the chip 4 of this embodiment can be formed by cutting off one side of the chip in the prior art where the grounding terminal is originally located. The resulting reserved area is larger and more conducive to the contact of the grounding contact pin 21e.

[0098] Example 4 See Figures 19 to 21 The chip 100 provided in this embodiment includes a substrate 110. The substrate 110 includes an outer plate 111 (equivalent to the substrate 310 in Embodiment 1) and an inner plate 112 (equivalent to the second component / conductive element 500 in Embodiment 1) stacked together. The outer plate 111 is located on the +X side of the inner plate 112. The +X end face of the outer plate 111 is a first external contact surface 113 (equivalent to the front surface 310a in Embodiment 1), and the -X end face of the outer plate 111 is an internal contact surface 114 (equivalent to the rear surface 310b in Embodiment 1). A first terminal 1 is provided on the first external contact surface 113 on the -Y side. Terminals 30b (equivalent to the first terminal 360 in Embodiment 1), 130c (equivalent to the second terminal 370 in Embodiment 1), 140 (equivalent to the third terminal 380 in Embodiment 1), and 150 (equivalent to the fourth terminal 390 in Embodiment 1) are provided. The outer plate 111 has a notch 115 (equivalent to the notch 311 in Embodiment 1) on the +Y side. A memory 170 protrudes from the inner surface 114 and is electrically connected to the first terminal 130b, second terminal 130c, third terminal 140, and fourth terminal 150. The +X end face of the inner plate 112 is a second outer surface 116 (equivalent to the surface on the +X axis side of the second component / conductive element 500 in Embodiment 1), and the second outer surface 116 is partially attached to the inner surface 114. A fifth terminal 160 (equivalent to the extension portion 530 in Embodiment 1) protrudes from the second outer surface 116 in the area overlapping with the notch portion 115. The +X end face of the fifth terminal 160 is located on the -X side of the first outer surface 113. In this design, the inner plate 112 (equivalent to the second component / conductive element 500 in Embodiment 1) is considered as part of the chip 100.

[0099] The second outer surface 116 has a connecting terminal 180 electrically connected to the fifth terminal 160 in the area overlapping with the inner surface 114. The inner surface 114 has an inner terminal (not shown in the figure, equivalent to the inner terminal 330 in Embodiment 1) that contacts the connecting terminal 180. The inner terminal is electrically connected to the memory 170. In this way, the fifth terminal 160 is connected to the memory 170 through the connection terminal 180 and the inner terminal.

[0100] Since the first terminal 130b to the fourth terminal 150 are all located on the first external surface 113, and the +X end face of the fifth terminal 160 is located on the -X side of the first external surface 113, it can be ensured that the contact portions of the first terminal 130b to the fourth terminal 150 and the contact portion of the fifth terminal 160 are not in the same plane. In the installed state, compared with a single substrate chip, the stylus corresponding to the first terminal 130b to the fourth terminal 150 has a larger deformation range, thereby providing greater friction in the Y direction. The notch 115 can interact with the stylus corresponding to the fifth terminal 160 to restrict the -Y direction movement of the chip 100, thereby restricting the overall movement of the corresponding ink cartridge in the +Y direction.

[0101] Although the line connecting the contact portions of the first terminal 130b and the fourth terminal 150 is parallel to the line connecting the contact portions of the second terminal 130c and the third terminal 140, the deformation amplitude of the contact pin corresponding to the fifth terminal 160 is smaller than that of the contact pins corresponding to the other four terminals. Therefore, the contact portion of the fifth terminal 160 is not on the same straight line as the contact portions of the second terminal 130c and the third terminal 140. Thus, the fifth terminal 160, the second terminal 130c, and the third terminal 140 cannot be considered as arranged in the same row.

[0102] An avoidance portion 117 is provided on the inner plate 112 in the area overlapping with the memory 170, and a first alignment hole 118 (equivalent to the positioning portion 312 in Embodiment 1) is provided on the outer plate 111. A second alignment hole 119 is provided on the inner plate 112 in the area corresponding to the first alignment hole 118. The avoidance portion 117 and the two alignment holes can strengthen the fit between the outer plate 111 and the inner plate 112, and improve the accuracy of the alignment assembly between the outer plate 111 and the inner plate 112 and the installation onto the ink cartridge.

[0103] See Figures 22 to 24 , Figures 22 to 24This is another embodiment of the present invention, which has the same technical effects as the aforementioned embodiment. The difference between this embodiment and the aforementioned embodiment is that the notch 115 is set on the -Y side of the outer plate 111, the first terminal 130b is set on the inner plate 112, the second terminal 130c to the fifth terminal 160 are all set on the outer plate 111, the second terminal 130c to the fifth terminal 160 are all electrically connected to the memory 170, the first terminal 130b is connected to the memory 170 through the connecting terminal 180 and the inner terminal, the outer plate 111 is provided with a first alignment hole 118, and the inner plate 112 is not provided with a corresponding alignment hole. Since the deformation amplitude of the contact pin corresponding to the first terminal 130b is smaller than that of the contact pins corresponding to the other four terminals, although the contact portions of the second terminal 130c, the third terminal 130c and the fifth terminal 160 are on an imaginary line L3 parallel to the Y-axis, the line connecting the contact portions of the first terminal 130b and the second terminal 130c is not parallel to the imaginary line L3 and the Y-axis, and therefore the first terminal 130b and the second terminal 130c cannot be considered as arranged in the same row.

[0104] Example 5 Reference Figure 25 As shown, the ink cartridge 10 of this application includes a cartridge body 50, which is generally cubic in shape by multiple sides. The end face in the plumb direction is the bottom surface 110a, and an ink outlet 40 is provided on the bottom surface 110a. The front 107 and the rear 107 (not shown in the figure) are arranged opposite each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface 110a. A handle 30 is provided on the upper part of the front 107, and a receiving part 411 is provided on the lower part of the handle 30. The receiving part 411 is used to install the chip 20 (e.g., ...). Figure 26 (as shown) and independent electrical connection part 80 (as shown) Figure 27 (As shown) (equivalent to the second component / conductive element 500 in Embodiment 1), the electrical connection portion 80 is provided with a fifth terminal 205 that connects to the stylus holder 91 of the printer (equivalent to the extension portion 530 in Embodiment 1). The chip 20 includes a substrate 120, on which a plurality of terminals are provided on the surface facing away from the housing 50. The plurality of terminals are arranged as follows: the first terminal 201a and the fourth terminal 204a are arranged in the first row, the second terminal 202a and the third terminal 203a are arranged in the second row, and the projections of the contact portions of the first terminal 201a, the second terminal 202a, the third terminal 203a and the fourth terminal 204a in the mounting direction do not overlap.

[0105] The first terminals 201a to the fourth terminal 204a are respectively a data terminal, a clock terminal, a power terminal, and a reset terminal. The fifth terminal 205a provided on the electrical connection part 80 is a ground terminal. The fifth terminal 205a is used to receive ground potential and has a fifth terminal contact part that is connected to the printer pins. The contact parts of the first terminal 201a, the second terminal 202a, the third terminal 203a, the fourth terminal 204a, and the fifth terminal 205a are adapted to connect with multiple pins on the pin holder 91.

[0106] Of course, the electrical connection part 80 can be any shape, such as a cube or a cylinder, as long as it can provide a terminal contact part. The shape of the electrical connection part is not limited here. In addition, the electrical connection part 80 and the receiving part 411 can be connected together by pasting, sticking, gluing, or snapping. Then the chip 20 is installed on the receiving part 411. The chip 20 can be fixed on the receiving part 411 by the cooperation of the recess (equivalent to the positioning part 312 in Embodiment 1) and the protrusion (equivalent to the positioning post 414 in Embodiment 1), or it can be fixed on the receiving part 411 by pasting or other means. The above methods only need to ensure that the substrate 120 and the electrical connection part 80 are insulated from each other and are compatible with the contact pin holder 91.

[0107] It is understandable that there can be a spatial distance between the substrate 120 of the chip 20 and the electrical connection part 80, meaning they do not need to be directly connected. For example, there can be a gap or a height difference between them (i.e., they do not contact each other or have a connection). This height difference refers to the fact that the ends are not flush in the direction from the rear surface to the front surface 107, resulting in inconsistent deformation of the corresponding stylus in the installed state. It is only necessary to ensure that they can be connected to the stylus holder 91. For example, during installation, the substrate 120 and the electrical connection part 80 are each mounted separately on the receiving part 411. The substrate 120 and the electrical connection part 80 can be arranged vertically, parallelly, or at an angle, as long as they are insulated from each other and adapted to the stylus holder 91 on the printer.

[0108] Another feasible implementation is that the receiving part 411 is also provided with a conductive device (not shown in the figure) for conducting electricity between the electrical connection part 80 and the chip. The electrical connection part 80 is provided with a fifth terminal 205a, which is electrically connected to the die on the back side of the chip 20 (i.e., the side of the substrate 120 facing the housing 50) through the conductive device (the electrical connection between the die, the inner terminal, the conductive device, and the electrical connection part 80 is achieved through the inner terminal 330 of Embodiment 1). The receiving part 411 also holds the chip 20, and the substrate 120 of the chip 20 is provided with a first terminal 201a, a second terminal 202a, a third terminal 203a, and a fourth terminal 204a. Of course, the arrangement of the terminals on the chip 20 and the terminals on the electrical connection part 80 needs to meet the requirements for adaptation and connection with the stylus carriage 91 on the printer.

[0109] Example 6 See Figure 28 The ink cartridge in this embodiment is basically the same as that in Embodiment 5, and the corresponding structure uses the same reference numerals. The only difference is that in this embodiment, a chip holder 70 is used as the receiving part 411 to mount the chip 20 and the electrical connection part 80. The ink cartridge 10 provided in this embodiment includes a cartridge body 50. A handle 30 is provided on the upper part of the front 107 of the cartridge body 50, and a chip holder 70 (the chip holder 70 here is not conductive) is provided on the lower part. Figure 28 As shown, an electrical connection portion 80 is provided on the chip holder 70. A fifth terminal 205a is provided on the electrical connection portion 80, and a first terminal 201a, a second terminal 202a, a third terminal 203a, and a fourth terminal 204a are respectively provided on the substrate 120. When the chip 20 is mounted on the chip holder 70, the electrical connection portion 80 and the chip 20 can be attached to each other. It can be understood that the electrical connection portion 80 can be of any shape. The substrate 120 and the electrical connection portion 80 are respectively fixed on the chip holder 70, but the substrate 120 and the electrical connection portion 80 are insulated from each other, that is, there is no electrical connection between them, which can greatly reduce the possibility of short circuit between the terminals on the substrate 120 and the fifth terminal 205a on the electrical connection portion 80. Those skilled in the art can also understand that there can be a spatial distance between the substrate 120 and the electrical connection portion 80, that is, they can not be directly connected. For example, there can be a gap or height difference between them (that is, there is no physical connection between them). For example, during installation, the substrate 120 and the electrical connection part 80 are each separately mounted on the chip holder 70. The substrate 120 and the electrical connection part 80 can be arranged vertically, parallelly, or at an angle, as long as they are insulated from each other and adapted to the stylus holder 91 on the printer. Then, the assembly of the chip holder 70, the chip 20, and the electrical connection part 80 is mounted onto the cartridge body 50 to form an integral unit of the ink cartridge 10.

[0110] Another feasible implementation is that the chip holder 70 is conductive, the electrical connection part 80 and the chip 20 are mounted on the chip holder 70. Since the chip holder 70 is conductive, the fifth terminal 205a can be electrically connected to the chip 20 through the chip holder 70. Of course, the arrangement of the terminals on the chip 20 and the terminals on the electrical connection part 80 needs to be compatible with the stylus holder 91 on the printer.

[0111] Example 7 Reference Figure 29 As shown, the receiving part 411 can be integrally formed on the front 107 of the housing 50, or an intermediate medium such as a chip carrier can be used as the receiving part 411. In this embodiment, a chip carrier is used as the receiving part 411. Figure 33 As shown, a conductive element 108 (equivalent to the conductive device in Embodiment 8) is provided on the receiving part 411, and an electrical connection part 109 (equivalent to the second component / conductive element 500 in Embodiment 1) and a chip 20 are installed on the receiving part 411.

[0112] like Figures 30-32 As shown, the chip 20 includes a substrate 120, which is a planar plate-like structure. The outer surface of the substrate 120 with the largest area is used as the first external contact surface 102a (equivalent to the front surface 301a in Embodiment 1), and the surface opposite to the first external contact surface 102a is the first back contact surface 103a (see...). Figure 31 (Equivalent to the rear surface 301b of Embodiment 1), the first outer surface 102a is provided with a plurality of terminals, and the first back surface 103a is provided with a wafer 104a and a first contact 207 (equivalent to the inner terminal 330 of Embodiment 1) connected to the wafer 104a. The electrical connection part 109 includes a conductive plate 113a (equivalent to the second component / conductive element 500 of Embodiment 1). The conductive plate 113a is a planar extended plate structure. The surface of the conductive plate 113a with the largest area is used as the second outer surface 111b, and the surface opposite to the second outer surface 111b is the second back surface 112b. An external terminal (the first terminal 201a in this embodiment) is provided on the second outer surface 111b. A second contact 206a is provided on the second back surface 112b opposite to the external terminal. The first contact 207 and the second contact 206a are electrically connected to the wafer 104a through the conductive element 108.

[0113] The first outer surface 102a of the substrate 120 is provided with a plurality of terminals, and the second outer surface 111b of the electrical connection portion 109 is provided with an external terminal (equivalent to the extension portion 530 in Embodiment 1). The external terminal provided on the electrical connection portion 109 can be any one of the first terminal 201a, the second terminal 202a, the third terminal 203a or the fourth terminal 204a. The first outer surface 102a is provided with other terminals besides the terminal on the second outer surface 111b and a fifth terminal 205a. This embodiment only shows one case: the external terminal on the electrical connection portion 109 can be the first terminal 201a, and the first outer surface 102a of the substrate 120 is provided with the second terminal 202a to the fifth terminal 205a.

[0114] In this embodiment, the conductive plate 113a has a cuboid structure. Of course, the electrical connection part 109 can also be any shape, such as a prism or a cylinder, as long as it can be provided with terminals on the second outer surface 111b of the conductive plate 113a and can be adapted to connect with the contact pin 901. The shape of the electrical connection part 109 is not limited here.

[0115] like Figure 33 As shown, during installation, the substrate of chip 20 and the electrical connection portion 109 need to be mounted onto the receiving portion 411, so that the second contact 206a on the electrical connection portion 109 and the first contact 207, the chip 104a and the conductive element 108 on the substrate 120 are tightly fitted together. Chip 20 can be fixed onto the receiving portion 411 by the mating of the recess and the protrusion, or by adhesive or other means. See the figure for the completed installation. Figure 34 .

[0116] It is understandable that there can be a spatial distance between the substrate 120 and the electrical connection portion 109, that is, there can be a gap or a height difference between them. This height difference refers to the fact that the ends are not flush in the direction from the back to the front 107, and the deformation amplitude of the corresponding stylus is inconsistent in the installed state, as long as it can be connected to the stylus 901. For example, during installation, the substrate 120 and the electrical connection portion 109 are respectively mounted on the receiving portion 411. The substrate 120 and the electrical connection portion 109 can be arranged vertically, parallelly, or intersectingly, as long as the terminals on both are compatible with the stylus 901 on the printer.

[0117] In this embodiment, by separately setting the first terminal 201a on the second outer surface 111b of the electrical connection portion 109, and by using the conductive member 108 to connect the second contact 206a on the electrical connection portion 109 with the first contact 207 of the substrate 120 and the chip 104a, the possibility of short circuits with other terminals can be reduced, and the safety of the chip 20 and the printer can be increased.

[0118] Example 8 See Figure 35 The ink cartridge 10 in this embodiment is basically the same as that in embodiment seven. The corresponding structure uses the same reference numerals. The only difference is that in this embodiment, the receiving part 411 is set as an integral structure with the cartridge body 50.

[0119] like Figure 35 As shown, a conductive element 108 is provided on the receiving portion 411, and a chip 20 is then mounted on the receiving portion 411. When the chip 20 is mounted on the receiving portion 411, the second contact 206a on the electrical connection portion 109, the first contact 207 of the substrate 120, the wafer 104a, and the conductive element 108 are tightly fitted together. It can be understood that the electrical connection portion 109 can be of any shape, and the chip 20 and the electrical connection portion 109 are respectively fixed separately on the receiving portion 411, and both are in contact with the conductive element 108.

[0120] The first outer surface 102a of the substrate 120 is provided with multiple terminals, including a second terminal 202a, a third terminal 203a, and a fourth terminal 204a. The electrical connection part 109 is provided with a first terminal 201a. After installation, the arrangement of the terminals when viewed from the X-axis direction is as follows: the first terminal 201a and the fourth terminal 204a are arranged in the first row, the second terminal 202a, the third terminal 203a, and the fifth terminal 205a are arranged in the second row, and the projections of the first terminal 201a, the second terminal 202a, the third terminal 203a, and the fourth terminal 204a in the installation direction do not overlap. The contact portions of the first terminal 201a, the second terminal 202a, the third terminal 203a, the fourth terminal 204a, and the fifth terminal 205a can be adapted and connected to multiple styluses 901 on the stylus holder 91.

[0121] Of course, the external terminal on the second external surface 111b of the electrical connection part 109 can be any one of the first terminal 201a, the second terminal 202a, the third terminal 203a or the fourth terminal 204a. This embodiment only shows one possible case.

[0122] By placing an external terminal on the second external surface 111b, the above embodiment can reduce the possibility of short circuits with other terminals and increase the safety of the chip 20 and the printer.

[0123] Example 9 In this embodiment, the first terminal 131, the second terminal 132, the third terminal 133, the fourth terminal 134, and the fifth terminal 135 (equivalent to the fifth terminal in Embodiment 3) are all disposed on the front surface 120a of the substrate 120. In this embodiment, the first terminal 131, the second terminal 132, the third terminal 133, the fourth terminal 134, and the fifth terminal 135 have different coordinates on the Y-axis. The first terminal 131 and the fourth terminal 134 have the same coordinates on the Z-axis, and the second terminal 132, the third terminal 133, and the fifth terminal 135 also have the same coordinates on the Z-axis, but the first terminal 131 and the second terminal 132 have different coordinates on the Z-axis. Among them, the fifth terminal 135 is located on the front surface 120a, closer to the right side 120d, away from the other four terminals.

[0124] The ink cartridge 10 is provided with a chip mounting part (equivalent to the receiving part 411 in Embodiment 1) for mounting the chip 100. The chip mounting part includes a first positioning post 121a, a second positioning post 122a, and a protruding rib 310c. The first positioning post 121a and the second positioning post 122a (equivalent to the positioning part 312 in Embodiment 1) are combined with the first hole 121 and the second hole 122 (equivalent to the positioning post 414 in Embodiment 1) of the chip in a protruding manner. Then, the chip 100 is fixed to the cartridge body by welding with a hot soldering head.

[0125] The direction in which the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the carriage of the ink cartridge mounting section 90 is defined as the mounting direction P. The mounting direction P is also the direction in which the substrate 100 is mounted on the carriage of the ink cartridge mounting section 90. In this embodiment, the mounting direction MD is the +Z direction. Two mutually orthogonal directions are defined as the first direction and the second direction. In this embodiment, the first direction is the Z direction and the second direction is the X direction. Viewing the chip ink cartridge mounting section from above, two orthogonal straight lines are defined as the first imaginary line C1 and the second imaginary line C2. The first imaginary line C1 is along the first direction, and the second imaginary line C2 is along the second direction. During the process of inserting the ink cartridge 10, on which the chip 100 of this embodiment is mounted, into the cartridge body, the protruding rib 310c causes the chip to lift along the +X axis direction on the side near the fifth terminal 135. In the plan view, when all the contact portions of all terminals provided on the substrate are projected onto the second imaginary line C2, not all the contact portions of the terminals are projected onto the second imaginary line C2. The beneficial effects of this design are: the substrate and the front face of the consumable box are placed at an angle α, the fifth terminal 135 is higher than other terminals in the direction of the vertical front face, the fifth contact pin 915 contacts the fifth terminal 135 in advance and increases the contact pressure, ensuring stable contact of the fifth terminal 135, preventing excessive current from damaging the chip equipment, and improving the safety of chip use.

[0126] During the insertion of the ink cartridge 10, which contains the chip 100 of this embodiment, into the ink cartridge mounting section 90, the fifth terminal 135 of the chip 100 first contacts the contact tip of the fifth vertical portion 915k of the fifth contact pin 915, thereby achieving electrical connection between the fifth terminal 135 and the fifth contact pin 915. The remaining terminals also abut against the contact tips of the remaining contact pins, achieving electrical connection.

[0127] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A chip for mounting on printing consumables, said printing consumables being detachably mounted on a printer provided with styluses; characterized in that, The printing consumable includes a receiving portion, the chip is mounted on the receiving portion, and the receiving portion includes a recessed portion; The chip includes: A substrate having at least one external terminal and at least one internal terminal, wherein the external terminal is used to abut against at least one of the contact pins, and the internal terminal is not used to abut against the contact pin; The second component, at least a portion of which is conductive and electrically connected to the substrate, is located in the recessed portion. The second component has an abutment portion that contacts the inner terminal and an extension portion that protrudes along the Y direction from the edge side of the substrate. The extension portion has an outer contact portion for contacting a stylus. Wherein, the external terminal on the substrate is located on the -Y side of the substrate, and the external contact portion is located on the +Y side of the substrate.

2. The chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second component includes a connecting protrusion, one end of which is the abutment portion.

3. The chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate has a front surface and a rear surface, and the epitaxial portion is capable of deformation or movement in the direction from the front surface to the rear surface.

4. The chip according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second component has a notch or reserved area not covered by the substrate, the notch or reserved area penetrating the front surface and the rear surface, and the external contact is exposed from the notch or reserved area.

5. The chip according to claim 3, characterized in that, The external terminals include a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal. The first terminal is a data terminal, the second terminal is a clock terminal, the third terminal is a power terminal, and the fourth terminal is a reset terminal. The extended portion or the external contact portion is used to receive ground voltage.

6. The chip according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first terminal has a first contact portion, the second terminal has a second contact portion, the third terminal has a third contact portion, and the fourth terminal has a fourth contact portion; The line S2 connecting the first contact portion and the fourth contact portion is parallel to the line S1 connecting the second contact portion and the third contact portion, and the line S1 and the line S2 are straight lines located on the front surface.

7. The chip according to claim 3, characterized in that, The external terminal is provided with a contact portion that abuts against the stylus, and the projections of each contact portion and the external contact portion on the mounting direction of the printing consumable or the chip onto the printer are not on the same straight line.

8. The chip according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner terminal can be connected to one of the data pins or the ground pins in the contact pins via the outer contact portion.

9. The chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second component is made of metal, conductive plastic, conductive silicone, or conductive ceramic.

10. A printing consumable, characterized in that, The device includes a housing and a chip as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the housing has a receiving portion and the chip is mounted on the receiving portion, wherein the chip includes a substrate and a second component, at least a portion of the second component being conductive and electrically connected to the substrate.

11. The printing consumable according to claim 10, characterized in that, The substrate has at least one external terminal and at least one internal terminal. The external terminal is used to abut against at least one of the styluses, and the internal terminal is not used to abut against the styluses. The internal terminal is in contact with the second component.

12. The printing consumable according to claim 11, characterized in that, The receiving part is provided with a conductive element, and the second component and the inner terminal are electrically connected through the conductive element.

Images