Print head assembly, ink cartridge and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A print head assembly (120), an ink cartridge (100) and an image forming apparatus. The print head assembly (120) comprises a circuit board (700), a print head unit (200) and a contact unit (300), wherein the print head unit (200) comprises a first nozzle module (210) and a second nozzle module (220), the first nozzle module (210) comprising a first nozzle array (211), and the second nozzle module (220) comprising a second nozzle array (221); the contact unit (300) comprises a signal contact group (400), and the signal contact group (400) comprises a first dedicated contact group (410) and a second dedicated contact group (420), the first dedicated contact group (410) comprising a plurality of first dedicated contacts (411), and the second dedicated contact group (420) comprising a plurality of second dedicated contacts (421); and in the direction of length of the print head assembly (120), the first dedicated contact group (410) is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array (211), and the second dedicated contact group (420) is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array (221).

Description

Printhead assembly, ink cartridge and image forming apparatus

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202410882341.X, filed on July 02, 2024, and No. 202510638783.4, filed on May 16, 2025, with the Chinese Patent Office, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to, but is not limited to, the technical field of image forming, and in particular to a printhead assembly, an ink cartridge and an image forming apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the continuous development of imaging technology, image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, fax machines, word processors, etc. have been widely used. In order to facilitate use, consumables that are convenient for users to replace are usually installed on the image forming apparatus. For example, consumable cartridges for containing recording materials (such as ink, toner, etc.), referred to as cartridges (such as ink cartridges, toner cartridges, etc.), or other components, parts, etc. that are easily damaged and need to be replaced, such as print heads (or nozzles), etc. Taking an inkjet printer as an example, the ink cartridge and the print head are usually installed on the printer body, and the printer body needs to be in electrical contact with the print head to control the print head to eject ink in the ink cartridge. In the related art, some methods are used to achieve electrical contact between the printer body and the print head through contacts. However, the arrangement of the contacts and the print head in the related art is not reasonable enough, which may lead to insufficient wiring simplification or affect the signal transmission accuracy between the printer body and the print head.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section of the present application is only intended to deepen the understanding of the general background of the present application, and should not be regarded as acknowledging or implying in any form that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. SUMMARY

[0005] The following is a summary of the subject matter of the detailed description herein. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the claims.

[0006] The present application aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and provides a printhead assembly, an ink cartridge and an image forming apparatus, which can optimize the wiring structure and improve the signal transmission accuracy by reasonably optimizing the arrangement of the printhead assembly.

[0007] In a first aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a printhead assembly, comprising:

[0008] a circuit board;

[0009] a printhead unit disposed on the circuit board, the printhead unit comprising a first nozzle module and a second nozzle module, the first nozzle module comprising a first nozzle array for ejecting ink of at least one color, the second nozzle module comprising a second nozzle array for ejecting ink of at least another color;

[0010] a contact unit disposed on the circuit board, the contact unit for connecting to an image forming device and for electrically connecting to the printhead unit, the contact unit comprising a signal contact group for transmitting signals to the printhead unit;

[0011] wherein the signal contact group comprises a first dedicated contact group and a second dedicated contact group, the first dedicated contact group comprising a plurality of first dedicated contacts for transmitting dedicated signals of the first nozzle module, the second dedicated contact group comprising a plurality of second dedicated contacts for transmitting dedicated signals of the second nozzle module; the first dedicated contact group is disposed corresponding to the first nozzle array and the second dedicated contact group is disposed corresponding to the second nozzle array in a length direction of the printhead assembly.

[0012] In a second aspect, an ink cartridge is provided, comprising the printhead assembly of the first aspect and a housing, the housing having an ink chamber for containing ink, the contact unit being disposed on a sidewall of the housing, and the printhead unit being disposed on a lower surface of the housing.

[0013] In a third aspect, an image forming device is provided, comprising:

[0014] the ink cartridge of the second aspect being detachably mounted to the image forming device;

[0015] a carriage for carrying the ink cartridge to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of a print medium, wherein the ink cartridge is detachably mounted to the image forming device;

[0016] a control unit for controlling the carriage to perform the reciprocation and for sending signals to a contact unit in the ink cartridge, so that the printhead unit ejects ink to the print medium based on the signals.

[0017] According to the printhead assembly, the ink cartridge and the image forming apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first special contact group is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array, and the second special contact group is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array, that is, the plurality of first special contacts are arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array, the jetting action of the first nozzle array can be accurately controlled, the plurality of second special contacts are arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array, the jetting action of the second nozzle array can be accurately controlled, and the physical layout of the different special contact groups and the corresponding nozzle modules can be matched. By optimizing the arrangement of the printhead assembly, the transmission paths of the special signals transmitted to the first nozzle module and the second nozzle module are relatively independent, the signal transmission path is more reasonable and orderly, the crosstalk between different signals is reduced, the stability and accuracy of signal transmission are ensured, the control accuracy of the printhead unit can be improved, the printing quality and efficiency are improved, and the lead cross can be reduced to a certain extent, and the circuit complexity is reduced.

[0018] Other features and advantages of the present application will be set forth in the following description, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, or can be learned by practice of the present application. The objects and other advantages of the present application can be realized and achieved by the structure particularly pointed out in the specification, claims and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the technical scheme of the present application, and constitute a part of the specification, and are used together with the embodiments of the present application to explain the technical scheme of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical scheme of the present application.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a structural schematic view of an ink cartridge provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Fig. 2 is a structural schematic view of a printhead assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Fig. 3 is a structural schematic view of a printhead assembly provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Fig. 4 is a structural schematic view of a printhead assembly provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Fig. 5 is a structural schematic view of a printhead assembly provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Fig. 6 is a structural schematic view of a printhead assembly provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Fig. 7 is a structural schematic view of a printhead assembly provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Fig. 8 is a structural schematic view of a printhead assembly provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a printhead assembly according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a contact unit arrangement according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of a contact unit arrangement according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of a printhead assembly according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of a contact unit arrangement according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of a contact unit arrangement according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram of a printhead assembly according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of a contact unit arrangement according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of a ground contact between a high voltage contact group and a signal contact group according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram of a printhead assembly according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram of a signal contact group arrangement according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig. 20 is a schematic diagram of a signal contact group arrangement according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of a printhead assembly according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of a printhead assembly according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig. 23 is a schematic diagram of a printhead unit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Fig. 24 is a schematic diagram of a printhead assembly according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Fig. 25 is a schematic diagram of a printhead assembly according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Fig. 26 is a schematic diagram of a contact unit design according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram of a design of a contact unit according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement of contact units according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement of contact units according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram of an installed state of a print head assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram of an installed state of a print head assembly according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an ink cartridge according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiments described below are examples of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. The same or similar components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0055] In the description of the present application, it is to be understood that the orientation description, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, and the like, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0056] In the description of the present application, if there is a description of first, second, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of technical features indicated or the order of technical features indicated. "At least one" means one or more, "a plurality of" means two or more, greater than, less than, more than, and the like are understood as not including the number, above, below, within, and the like are understood as including the number, the meaning of "several" is one or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited.

[0057] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly defined, the terms of setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood broadly, and the skilled in the art can determine the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application in combination with the specific content of the technical solution. For example, the term "connection / connected" can be fixed connection or movable connection, or detachable connection or non-detachable connection, or integral connection; can be mechanical connection, or electrical connection or can communicate with each other; can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium.

[0058] The embodiments of the present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] An image forming apparatus is an apparatus for forming an image on a medium through an imaging processing technology. Examples of the image forming apparatus include a copier, a facsimile, a printer, and a multifunctional machine including the functions of these apparatuses. The embodiments of the present application provide an image forming apparatus which can be used to perform an image forming job, for example, can include but is not limited to image generation, printing, receiving and sending image data. The image forming apparatus in the embodiments of the present application includes an image forming apparatus body and a consumable. The consumable can be, for example, a cartridge 100, a toner cartridge, etc., and can also be other components or parts in the image forming apparatus which are easily damaged and need to be replaced, such as a print head (or inkjet head or nozzle head or nozzle chip, etc. described similarly), etc. The consumable can be installed on the image forming apparatus body.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 1, in an embodiment, the image forming apparatus can include a cartridge 100 and a print head unit 200, wherein the cartridge 100 is a container for storing ink, and the print head unit 200 is mainly used to accurately eject ink through a tiny nozzle onto a print medium (such as paper) to form an image or text. The print head unit 200 can be installed on the cartridge 100, and the cartridge 100 is detachably installed on the image forming apparatus. In a possible implementation, the print head unit 200 can be integrated on the cartridge 100, and the print head unit 200 is replaced with the cartridge 100, so that the print quality is not reduced due to the wear of the print head unit 200, and the print quality and print precision can be ensured. In a possible implementation, the print head unit 200 is detachably installed on the cartridge 100.

[0061] It should be noted that the printhead unit 200 can be understood as a highly integrated small circuit system, which can include a nozzle module, an ink supply module, and the printhead unit 200 is used to realize the inkjet process based on the signals transmitted by the image forming device. The nozzle module can include a nozzle array, a control module, an inkjet driver, a sensor, etc. The nozzle array can include a plurality of nozzle groups, each nozzle group is composed of a plurality of micro nozzles. The control module can be a circuit structure integrated with various electronic elements, mainly used to receive signals sent by the image forming device, coordinate the actions of various components of the printhead unit 200, and ensure that the corresponding nozzle group in the nozzle array accurately ejects ink according to the preset mode and time, or performs other printing operations. The ink supply module is used to transport ink from the ink cartridge 100 (or ink tank) to the corresponding micro ink cavity of each nozzle, which is usually composed of a plurality of micro channels. The ink is mainly ejected onto the print medium through each nozzle, and the inkjet driver (such as a piezoelectric element or a heating element) is used to generate the power (such as deformation or heat) of ink ejection based on the received electrical signals, thereby realizing the on-demand ejection of ink. The sensor can be used to monitor the working state and environmental parameters of the printhead unit 200, such as temperature, ink level, state of the nozzle array, etc., to ensure the stability of the inkjet performance and the reliability of the work.

[0062] In some embodiments, the printhead assembly 120 can include the printhead unit 200 and the contact unit 300, and when the printhead assembly 120 is arranged on the ink cartridge 100, in order to ensure the normal work of the image forming device, it is necessary to make electrical contact between the image forming device and the printhead unit 200. By providing the contact unit 300 on the printhead assembly 120, the contact unit 300 includes a plurality of electrical contacts, and correspondingly, the image forming device body is also provided with contact parts (such as contact pins, probes, spring contacts, etc.) corresponding to these electrical contacts. When the ink cartridge 100 is correctly installed on the image forming device, the electrical contacts of the printhead assembly 120 on the ink cartridge 100 can form electrical connection with the corresponding contact parts on the image forming device through physical contact (such as pressure fitting), and at the same time, these electrical contacts can also realize electrical connection with the printhead unit 200 (such as connecting the electrical contacts and the printhead unit 200 through conductive leads), so that the printhead unit 200 and the image forming device can be electrically connected, thereby realizing the communication interaction between the image forming device and the printhead unit 200, and the image forming device can control the printhead unit 200 to work to eject the ink in the ink cartridge 100 onto the print medium.

[0063] As shown in FIGS. 2-4, in an embodiment, the printhead unit 200 can include nozzle modules (or head modules or inkjet modules or ejection modules or similar descriptions). Specifically, the printhead unit 200 includes a first nozzle module 210 and a second nozzle module 220, wherein the first nozzle module 210 can include a first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle module 220 can include a second nozzle array 221, the first nozzle array 211 is configured to eject at least one color of ink, and the second nozzle array 221 is configured to eject at least another color of ink, for example, the ink colors can include cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light cyan, light magenta, light yellow, gray, dark gray, light gray, red, blue, green, orange, etc. In one possible implementation, each group of nozzles in the first nozzle array 211 ejects a different color of ink, and each group of nozzles in the second nozzle array 221 ejects a different color of ink. In another possible implementation, some groups of nozzles in the first nozzle array 211 eject different colors of ink, and some groups of nozzles eject the same color of ink, and some groups of nozzles in the second nozzle array 221 eject different colors of ink, and some groups of nozzles eject the same color of ink.

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 4-6, it is noted that the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 are structures in the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, respectively, for ejecting ink outward, the first nozzle array 211 includes at least one group of nozzles, and the second nozzle array 221 includes at least one group of nozzles, and each group of nozzles is configured to eject one color of ink. In one possible implementation, each group of nozzles includes a plurality of nozzles q, the plurality of nozzles q are configured to eject ink outward, the plurality of nozzles q are arranged in a row or in parallel rows, or form a long annular shape or a rectangular shape, thereby forming a group of nozzles. In one possible implementation, the extending direction of the arrangement shape of the plurality of nozzles q is parallel to the center line of the group of nozzles. For example, when the plurality of nozzles q are arranged in a row, the center line of the corresponding group of nozzles extends along the arrangement direction of the plurality of nozzles q (i.e., the extending direction of the single row structure), and passes through the center of each nozzle q. For another example, when the plurality of nozzles q are arranged in two parallel rows, the center line of the corresponding group of nozzles extends along the arrangement direction of the plurality of nozzles q and is located in the middle of the two rows of nozzles q, i.e., the distance from the two rows of nozzles q to the center line is the same. For another example, when the plurality of nozzles q form a long annular shape or a rectangular shape, the center line of the corresponding group of nozzles is the center line of the annular shape or the rectangular shape extending along the length direction of the annular shape or the rectangular shape. If there are other small holes similar to the shape of the nozzles q of the group of nozzles on the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, if these small holes are not used for ejecting ink, these small holes are not nozzles q, and these small holes are not included in the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in an embodiment, the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 can be integrally formed, i.e., the two nozzle modules are integrated on the same overall structure and functionally cooperated, which is conducive to realizing stable double-nozzle module cooperative jetting function and improving jetting consistency and stability. Specifically, the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 can be integrally formed nozzle chips.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, in another embodiment, the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 can also be arranged at intervals, i.e., the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 are arranged according to a preset interval and relative position relationship to form a double-nozzle module structure with a certain interval. Specifically, the interval, angle and relative position between the two nozzle modules can be flexibly adjusted according to actual application requirements to adapt to different jetting targets and process requirements and meet the diversified requirements of different application scenarios on jetting performance. In an implementation, the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 are independently integrated nozzle chips.

[0067] In some embodiments, the nozzle module can be understood as a print head of an integrated circuit structure, which at least includes a nozzle array (i.e., at least one nozzle group), an ink ejection driver and a corresponding control module. The control module can control different ink ejection actions (such as which color of ink to jet, which nozzle to jet, jetting time, jetting amount, etc.). Specifically, the first nozzle module 210 can include a first nozzle array 211, an ink ejection driver for driving each nozzle of the corresponding nozzle group in the first nozzle array 211 to jet ink, and a first control module for controlling the first nozzle module 210 to perform ink ejection actions. Similarly, the second nozzle module 220 can include a second nozzle array 221, an ink ejection driver for driving each nozzle of the corresponding nozzle group in the second nozzle array 221 to jet ink, and a second control module for controlling the second nozzle module 220 to perform ink ejection actions. In an implementation, the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 are two independently integrated nozzle chips, and the corresponding first control module and second control module are independently arranged, i.e., the program control units and hardware circuit structures corresponding to the first control module and the second control module are separated. In another implementation, the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 can be integrally formed into one nozzle chip, and at this time, the first control module and the second control module can share at least part of the program control units and / or hardware circuit structures. It should be noted that the specific composition structure of the first control module and the second control module can be designed according to actual application conditions, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations thereto.

[0068] It should be noted that the ink ejection driver, the control module and other structures in the nozzle module are usually arranged inside the nozzle module. Compared with the structures arranged inside the nozzle module, the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 are respectively exposed outside the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, and are also exposed outside the bottom of the ink cartridge 100 when the printhead assembly 120 is installed on the ink cartridge 100. In order to meet the ink ejection requirements, the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 need to have a certain length and spacing.

[0069] In an implementation manner, the first nozzle array 211 is used to eject ink of one color, and the second nozzle array 221 is used to eject ink of another plurality of different colors. It should be noted that the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 mainly eject ink through each nozzle q in the corresponding nozzle group. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the first nozzle array 211 is used to eject black ink, which can be used to print black parts in black-and-white documents or pictures; the second nozzle array 221 is used to eject ink of a plurality of colors (for example, cyan / C color, magenta / M color, yellow / Y color, red / R color, blue / B color, green / G color, orange / O color, etc.), for example, the second nozzle array 221 can eject C color, M color and Y color, and can be used to print color pictures and documents. In some image forming apparatuses, the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 can work simultaneously, so that documents containing black-and-white and color elements can be printed. In some application scenarios, black ink can be formed by mixing and superimposing a plurality of color inks, for example, black ink can be formed by mixing cyan ink, magenta ink and yellow ink in a proper ratio, so that the corresponding nozzle group ejects black ink, which can be adaptively adjusted according to actual application scenarios, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations. When the first nozzle array 211 is responsible for ejecting black ink, the corresponding first nozzle module 210 can also be referred to as a black printhead, and when the second nozzle array 221 is responsible for ejecting color ink (for example, basic colors such as cyan, magenta and yellow), the corresponding second nozzle module 220 can also be referred to as a color printhead.

[0070] It should be noted that the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 each include at least one nozzle group, and each nozzle group is used to eject ink of one color.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 4, in one implementation, the first nozzle array 211 includes a first group of nozzles Q1, the second nozzle array 221 includes a second group of nozzles Q2, a third group of nozzles Q3 and a fourth group of nozzles Q4, the first group of nozzles Q1 is used to spray ink of a first color, the second group of nozzles Q2 is used to spray ink of a second color, the third group of nozzles Q3 is used to spray ink of a third color, and the fourth group of nozzles Q4 is used to spray ink of a fourth color. At this time, the first nozzle module 210 can be a monochrome printhead, and the second nozzle module 220 can be a multi-color printhead. For example, the first color is black, the second color is cyan, the third color is magenta, and the fourth color is yellow, then the first nozzle module 210 is a black printhead, and the second nozzle module 220 is a color printhead. Of course, the first color, the second color, the third color and the fourth color can also be different from the colors in the above example, and specific designs can be made according to actual application requirements, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, in another implementation, the first nozzle array 211 includes a first group of nozzles Q1, a second group of nozzles Q2 and a third group of nozzles Q3, the second nozzle array 221 includes a fourth group of nozzles Q4, the first group of nozzles Q1 is used to spray ink of a first color, the second group of nozzles Q2 is used to spray ink of a second color, the third group of nozzles Q3 is used to spray ink of a third color, and the fourth group of nozzles Q4 is used to spray ink of a fourth color. At this time, the first nozzle module 210 can be a multi-color printhead, and the second nozzle module 220 can be a monochrome printhead. For example, the first color is cyan, the second color is magenta, the third color is yellow, and the fourth color is black, then the first nozzle module 210 is a color printhead, and the second nozzle module 220 is a black printhead. Of course, the first color, the second color, the third color and the fourth color can also be different from the colors in the above example, and specific designs can be made according to actual application requirements, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0073] In an embodiment, if the printhead unit 200 is a one-piece structure. The printhead unit 200 can be arranged at different positions according to actual needs, for example, it can be arranged at the middle position of the circuit board 700, or other positions, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0074] In an embodiment, when the printhead unit 200 is a one-piece structure and can spray black and color inks, if the printhead unit 200 includes four mutually spaced ink spraying areas for spraying black, cyan, magenta and yellow inks, the spacing between the above four ink spraying areas can be designed according to actual needs, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 5, in one possible implementation, the left part and the right part of the printhead unit 200 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center line R (i.e. the longitudinal axis) of the contact unit 300. It can be understood that in other possible implementations, the printhead unit 200 can be arranged to be biased to the left or to the right, which can be adaptively adjusted according to design requirements.

[0076] It should be noted that the size of the printhead unit 200 can be designed according to actual requirements, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited specifically.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the present application provides a printhead assembly 120, which includes a circuit board 700, a printhead unit 200 and a contact unit 300. The printhead unit 200 and the contact unit 300 are arranged on the circuit board 700, and the circuit board 700 can be used not only to carry the printhead unit 200 and the contact unit 300, but also to connect the image forming device and the ink cartridge 100. The printhead unit 200 includes a first nozzle module 210 and a second nozzle module 220. The first nozzle module 210 includes a first nozzle array 211, and the second nozzle module 220 includes a second nozzle array 221. The first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 can eject different colors of ink, meeting the needs of users to form images of different colors. The contact unit 300 is not only used to connect the image forming device, but also electrically connected to the printhead unit 200. The contact unit 300 includes a plurality of electrical contacts, which can enable the printhead unit 200 to be electrically connected to the image forming device, so as to enable the image forming device to control the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 to eject ink onto a print medium to form an image or text.

[0078] As shown in FIGS. 2-6, based on the above-mentioned print head assembly 120, in some embodiments, the contact unit 300 comprises a signal contact group 400 for transmitting signals to the print head unit 200, it can be understood that the signal contact group 400 comprises a plurality of signal contacts, various signals are transmitted between the image forming device and the print head unit 200 through the signal contacts, these signals are mainly used for controlling the work of the print head unit 200 to achieve precise image forming control, for example, can be used for enabling the print head unit 200, nozzle positioning of the print head unit 200, data reading and writing, etc., so the above-mentioned signal contacts can also be called control contacts. Through these signals, the image forming device can achieve complex printing tasks, including text printing, image printing, multi-color printing, and high-resolution printing, etc., thereby achieving precise control over the image forming process. Further, the signal contact group 400 comprises a first dedicated contact group 410 and a second dedicated contact group 420, the first dedicated contact group 410 comprises a plurality of first dedicated contacts 411, and the plurality of first dedicated contacts 411 are used for transmitting dedicated signals of the first nozzle module 210, the second dedicated contact group 420 comprises a plurality of second dedicated contacts 421, and the plurality of second dedicated contacts 421 are used for transmitting dedicated signals of the second nozzle module 220. It should be noted that the dedicated signals are mainly used to distinguish the ejection management of different color nozzle modules, thereby achieving more fine control of the printing process of the image forming device. For example, in some cases, the dedicated signal can be used to instruct the corresponding nozzle module to eject black ink when black and white printing is required, and to eject color ink when color printing is required. The corresponding dedicated signals of the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 are transmitted through the first dedicated contact 411 and the second dedicated contact 421 respectively, which can more accurately control the ejection function of the corresponding first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221, facilitate the transmission management of different dedicated signals, so that the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 can cooperate according to their corresponding characteristics, which can effectively improve the printing speed, and through different dedicated signals, the working state of the corresponding nozzle module can be better managed, when one of the nozzle modules appears abnormal condition, corresponding compensation correction can be made in time to ensure the stability of the entire printing process. It can be understood that the above-mentioned dedicated signals can also be considered as control signals dedicated to the corresponding nozzle module.

[0079] Based on the above print head assembly 120, in some embodiments, in the length direction of the print head assembly 120, the first dedicated contact group 410 is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array 211, and the second dedicated contact group 420 is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array 221, so that the physical layout of different dedicated contact groups and corresponding nozzle groups can be matched. It should be noted that the length direction of the print head assembly 120 can refer to the direction perpendicular to the circuit board 700 (such as the up-down direction shown in FIG. 6), and in the length direction of the print head assembly 120, the first nozzle array 211 can be arranged below the first dedicated contact group 410, and the second nozzle array 221 can be arranged below the second dedicated contact group 420. It can be understood that in the process of controlling the ink ejection of the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, the dedicated signal can be used to determine the nozzle that needs to be inked, and the plurality of first dedicated contacts 411 arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array 211 can accurately control the ink ejection action of the first nozzle array 211, so as to accurately control the position of the corresponding nozzle in the first nozzle array 211 and the ink ejection timing, and the plurality of second dedicated contacts 421 arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array 221 can accurately control the ink ejection action of the second nozzle array 221, so as to accurately control the position of the corresponding nozzle in the second nozzle array 221 and the ink ejection timing. It should be noted that the physical layout of the first dedicated contact group 410 and the first nozzle array 211 on the circuit board 700 can be understood as being arranged close to one end (for example, the left end) of the circuit board 700 and being located at the upper and lower positions respectively; the physical layout of the second dedicated contact group 420 and the second nozzle array 221 on the circuit board 700 can be understood as being arranged close to the other end (for example, the right end) of the circuit board 700 and being located at the upper and lower positions respectively; through the physical layout corresponding arrangement, the wiring is relatively clear, the dedicated contact can be directly connected to the corresponding nozzle module, ensuring that each signal can be clearly and accurately transmitted, the transmission path of the dedicated signal transmitted to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 is relatively independent, so that the signal transmission path is more reasonable and orderly, reduces the crosstalk between different signals, ensures the stability and accuracy of signal transmission, and can improve the control accuracy of the print head unit 200. Moreover, the lead cross can be reduced to a certain extent, the wiring structure is optimized, the subsequent wiring is more convenient, the line complexity is reduced, the signal attenuation and distortion problems caused by complex lines can be reduced, the integrity of signal transmission can be ensured, and the printing quality and efficiency can be improved.

[0080] It is to be noted that, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, depending on the number and arrangement position of the first dedicated contact 411 and the design requirement of the first nozzle array 211, the area surrounded by the first dedicated contact group 410 and the area of the first nozzle array 211 can be different, and thus the first dedicated contact group 410 and the first nozzle array 211 can not be completely corresponding in the horizontal direction. For example, when the first dedicated contact group 410 and the first nozzle array 211 are both arranged near the left end of the circuit board 700, the left edge of the first nozzle array 211 can be closer to or farther away from the left edge of the circuit board 700 than the left edge of the first dedicated contact group 410. The specific adjustment can be made according to the actual application scenario, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations thereto. Similarly, the second dedicated contact group 420 and the second nozzle array 221 can not be completely corresponding in the horizontal direction, and the specific adjustment can be made according to the actual application scenario. In some implementations, the first nozzle module 210 is arranged corresponding to the first dedicated contact group 410, and the second nozzle module 220 is arranged corresponding to the second dedicated contact group 420.

[0081] Based on the print head assembly 120 of the above embodiments, by arranging the first dedicated contact group 410 and the second dedicated contact group 420, the ejection management of different nozzle modules can be realized, and by optimizing the arrangement of the print head assembly 120, the first dedicated contact group 410 is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array 211, and the second dedicated contact group 420 is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array 221, the structure is optimized from the physical layout, the wiring structure can be optimized, the signal transmission accuracy can be improved, the control accuracy of the print head unit 200 can be improved, and thus the printing process of the image forming device can be controlled more finely, which is beneficial to improving the image forming quality.

[0082] In some embodiments, the image forming device is an inkjet printer, and the signal contacts can include but are not limited to address sequence encoding signal contacts, segmented heating zone digital latch signal contacts, area data signal contacts, heating enable signal contacts, temperature sensor reading signal contacts, data read-write contacts, etc. Those skilled in the art can arrange signal contacts with different functions according to actual requirements. Moreover, the corresponding dedicated contacts can be arranged according to the control requirements of the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221. For example, the dedicated contacts can include but are not limited to area data signal contacts, heating enable signal contacts, temperature sensor reading signal contacts, data read-write contacts, etc. The dedicated signals can be used to control the ink ejection action of the corresponding nozzle module (such as used to determine the ink ejection hole position, the color of the ejected ink, etc.). The dedicated contacts corresponding to the nozzle modules of different colors can be arranged according to the actual application requirements, and the present application does not make specific limitations thereto.

[0083] It should be noted that the signals transmitted by the signal contacts in the signal contact group 400 can be bidirectional transmission or unidirectional transmission between the image forming device and the printhead unit 200, for example, some signal contacts can transmit signals from the image forming device to the printhead unit 200, and also transmit signals from the printhead unit 200 to the image forming device; or some signal contacts only transmit signals from the image forming device to the printhead unit 200.

[0084] Based on the above printhead assembly 120, in some embodiments, the center line S1 of the signal contact unit 400 is parallel to the length direction of the printhead assembly 120, and can also be understood as parallel to the vertical direction of the circuit board 700. The first special contact group 410 and part of the second special contact group 420 (for example, part of the second special contact 421) are arranged on one side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, and part of the second special contact group 420 is arranged on the other side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400; or part of the first special contact group 410 (for example, part of the first special contact 411) and the second special contact group 420 are arranged on one side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, and part of the first special contact group 410 is arranged on the other side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400. In a possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 8, the first special contact group 410 and the first special contact group 410 are arranged on both sides of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, which can optimize the contact layout design, and the different special contact groups are independent of each other, which can to a certain extent reduce the mutual interference between the special contacts in the first special contact group 410 and the first special contact group 410, and is conducive to ensuring the stability of signal transmission.

[0085] Based on the above printhead assembly 120, in some embodiments, the first nozzle array 211 is arranged on one side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, and at least part of the second nozzle array 221 is arranged on the other side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400. Specifically, the first nozzle array 211 and part of the second nozzle array 221 are arranged on one side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, and part of the second nozzle array 221 is arranged on the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400 or on the other side of the center line. Or, part of the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 are arranged on one side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, and part of the first nozzle array 211 is arranged on the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400 or on the other side of the center line S1. Or, the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 are arranged on both sides of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400. In an implementation, the first nozzle module 210 is arranged on one side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, and at least part of the second nozzle module 220 is arranged on the other side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the first dedicated contact group 410 and the first nozzle array 211 are located on a first side P1 of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400; the second dedicated contact group 420 and the at least partial second nozzle array 221 are located on a second side P2 of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400. By setting the first dedicated contact group 410 and the first nozzle array 211 on the same side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, i.e. the first dedicated contact group 410 and the first nozzle array 211 are correspondingly arranged, and setting the second dedicated contact group 420 and the at least partial second nozzle array 221 on the same side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, i.e. the second dedicated contact group 420 and the second nozzle array 221 are correspondingly arranged, the physical layout of the dedicated contact group and the corresponding nozzle array can be matched with each other, which can better optimize the overall layout of the printhead assembly 120. In a possible implementation, the first dedicated contact group 410 and the first nozzle array 211 are located on the first side P1 of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, and the second dedicated contact group 420 and the second nozzle array 221 are located on the second side P2 of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400. In a possible implementation, the first dedicated contact group 410 and the first nozzle module 210 are located on the first side P1 of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, and the second dedicated contact group 420 and the second nozzle module 220 are located on the second side P2 of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400.

[0087] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, the first nozzle array 211 can be used to eject black ink, and the second nozzle array 221 can be used to eject color ink; or, the first nozzle array 211 can be used to eject color ink, and the second nozzle array 221 can be used to eject black ink.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 10, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the circuit board 700 includes a first contact area 810 and a second contact area 820, which are respectively located on both sides of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400; the first special contact group 410 is arranged in the first contact area 810, and the second special contact group 420 is arranged in the second contact area 820. It can be understood that the signal contacts in the signal contact group 400 can enclose a certain area, wherein the overall area enclosed by the signal contact group 400 can include the first contact area 810 and the second contact area 820, the first contact area 810 can correspond to the first nozzle array 211, and the second contact area 820 can correspond to the second nozzle array 221, so that the layout of the printhead assembly 120 can be more reasonable. In a possible implementation, the first contact area 810 and the second contact area 820 are symmetrical with respect to the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, so that the distribution of the signal contacts can be more uniform. In some application scenarios, the first contact area 810 and the second contact area 820 have a certain interval, which can further reduce the mutual interference between signals.

[0089] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the signal contact group 400 further includes a common contact group 430, which includes a plurality of common contacts 431 for transmitting common signals of the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220. It should be noted that the common signals are mainly used to realize the overall work and management of the printhead unit 200, and are generally signals common to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, so as to ensure the normal work of the image forming apparatus. It can be understood that the common signals transmitted by the common contacts 431 can be used to control the first nozzle module 210, so as to control the corresponding first nozzle array 211 to eject ink, or can be used to control the second nozzle module 220, so as to control the corresponding second nozzle array 221 to eject ink. By using the same common contacts 431 to lead out the common signals, it is not necessary to separately arrange repeated common contacts 431 for the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, which can effectively shorten the length of the common signal line branch wiring for transmitting the common signals, thereby reducing signal reflection and crosstalk, improving signal transmission quality, while reducing the total number of contacts, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the overall structure, effectively reducing the cost and increasing the reliability of the contact.

[0090] In some embodiments, the common control contacts can include but are not limited to address sequence encoding signal contacts, segmented heating zone digital latching signal contacts, and the like, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations, and different functional common control contacts can be designed according to actual needs.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 11, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, a plurality of common contacts 431 are arranged in the first contact area 810 and / or the second contact area 820. It should be noted that the first contact area 810 can correspond to the first nozzle array 211, and the second contact area 820 can correspond to the second nozzle array 221. Since the common signals transmitted by the common contacts 431 can be used for both the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, the common contacts 431 can be arranged in the first contact area 810, the second contact area 820, or both. If there are multiple common contacts 431 of different types, they can be arranged in the first contact area 810 and the second contact area 820, so as to make more rational use of the space in the first contact area 810 and the second contact area 820, and optimize the arrangement of the signal contact group 400.

[0092] It should be noted that the common signals for the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 can be combined on the circuit board 700, and then led out through the common contacts 431. The common contacts 431 can be connected to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 through leads, which not only shortens the length of the common signal line branches, but also effectively reduces the total number of contacts and the area of the circuit board 700.

[0093] In some embodiments, if the ink cartridge 100 is connected to the image forming device body through an adapter plate (or adapter line), the common signals are transmitted to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 through the common contacts 431. Since the total number of contacts in the contact unit 300 is reduced, the area of the adapter plate (or adapter line) can also be effectively reduced, which is beneficial to cost saving.

[0094] According to some embodiments of the present application, the contact unit 300 further includes power contacts for providing power to the printhead unit 200, i.e., for powering the printhead unit 200. Specifically, the image forming device can provide the necessary power and transmit it to the power contacts, which provide power to the printhead unit 200. This can maintain the basic working state of the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, and ensure that the driving mechanism in the printhead unit 200 can be stably powered, so that the ink can be normally ejected. The specific use of the power provided by the power contacts can include but is not limited to: driving inkjet drivers (such as piezoelectric elements or heating elements), powering control modules, powering data communication, etc. In some application scenarios, in order to meet various needs in the image forming process, the power provided by the power contacts can be high-voltage power or low-voltage power.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the contact unit 300 further comprises a high-voltage power supply contact group 500, the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 comprises a plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts 510, and the plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts 510 are used to provide high-voltage power supply to the printhead unit 200. It should be noted that by providing a plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts 510, the requirement of providing high-voltage power supply to the printhead unit 200 can be met. Specifically, the high-voltage power supply provided by the high-voltage power supply contacts 510 to the printhead unit 200 can be used to drive the ink ejection driver to achieve ink ejection, for example, to power the heating element. Since the high-voltage power supply contacts 510 can provide a high voltage, the heating element will heat up quickly, and since the heating element is in close contact with the ink chamber, the heat will quickly be transferred to the ink, causing the ink to form bubbles instantaneously, and the expansion of the bubbles will eject the ink from the nozzle, achieving the ink ejection process.

[0096] In some application scenarios, the voltage value of the high-voltage power supply is greater than the voltage value of the signal transmitted by the plurality of signal contacts. By providing different voltage values to the printhead unit 200, the different functional requirements of the printhead unit 200 can be met. The voltage value depends on the specific application and design, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations. For example, the voltage value of the high-voltage power supply can be between 10-30V, and the voltage value of the signal transmitted by the signal contact can be between 0.8-6V. It should be noted that the voltage values in the above examples refer to the voltage range of the printhead unit 200 when it is in a normal working state. It can be understood that the voltage range when the signal contact transmits a high-level signal can be 0.8-6V. It should be noted that the above voltage range is only an example, and different voltage values can be selected according to the actual situation in specific implementation.

[0097] In some application scenarios, when signals are transmitted or power is supplied between the image forming device and the print head unit 200, the transmission path is easily disturbed by external environmental factors, resulting in unstable signals or power transmitted to the print head unit 200, which can easily reduce the quality of image formation. For inkjet printing technology, by analyzing the influence of different factors on image forming device in working state on image accuracy, it is considered that the power supply voltage is relatively sensitive and easy to fluctuate, and it can be analyzed that the power supply has a greater impact on the working state of the print head unit 200 than other signals, especially the high-voltage power supply. Taking an inkjet printer as an example, in the inkjet printing process, ink is sprayed from the print head unit 200 by heating or pressure change to form an image. Inkjet control usually has two kinds of thermal inkjet technology and piezoelectric inkjet technology. In thermal inkjet technology, relatively high voltage power supply is used to heat the ink, so that it expands and sprays from the nozzle. The voltage directly affects the temperature of the heating element, and then affects the expansion speed and ejection amount of the ink. In piezoelectric inkjet technology, the power supply voltage is used to drive the piezoelectric element to deform and squeeze the ink to spray from the nozzle. The stability and size of the voltage affect the deformation degree of the piezoelectric element, thereby affecting the ejection amount and speed of the ink. Therefore, in the inkjet printing process, there is a high requirement for voltage stability and power quality. The size of voltage fluctuation will directly affect the ink ejection accuracy of the print head unit 200, thereby affecting the image quality of printing. In the process of supplying power between the image forming device and the print head unit 200, the transmission path is easily disturbed by external environmental factors, resulting in unstable power supply voltage. Especially when the power transmission distance is long, the voltage drop on the transmission line and the interference received are relatively more, thereby affecting the power quality provided to the print head unit 200, which can reduce the quality of image formation.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 12, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the minimum distance D1 between the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 and the printhead unit 200 is less than the minimum distance D2 between the signal contact group 400 and the printhead unit 200. It should be noted that since the voltage value of the high-voltage power supply in the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 is greater than the voltage value of the signals transmitted by the plurality of signal contacts in the signal contact group 400, the high-voltage power supply provided by the high-voltage power supply contact 510 has a greater impact on the stable operation of the printhead unit 200 relative to the signals transmitted by the signal contacts, and the high-voltage power supply is relatively sensitive and is greatly affected by external factors. By arranging the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 closer to the printhead unit 200, the high-voltage power supply path provided to the printhead unit 200 can be shortened to some extent, which is different from the long-distance power supply path, and can effectively reduce noise or electromagnetic interference, while reducing the impact of resistance voltage drop in the high-voltage power supply path, effectively reducing the risk of voltage fluctuation and power instability, thereby improving the voltage precision on the printhead unit 200, and effectively improving the quality of image formation. It can be understood that in the above embodiments, the contacts of different voltage levels are arranged separately, which can prevent high voltage from affecting low voltage contacts, and can improve the stability of operation to some extent. It can be understood that the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 is arranged on the side close to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, and the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 is closer to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 relative to the signal contact group 400.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, in some application scenarios, when the printhead assembly 120 is installed on the ink cartridge 100, when the ink cartridge 100 is in use, the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 is arranged below the signal contact group 400 in the up-down direction of the side wall of the shell 110 of the ink cartridge 100, the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 are arranged on the lower surface of the shell 110, and the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 are exposed on the lower surface of the shell 110.

[0100] In some application scenarios, when the printhead assembly 120 is arranged on the ink cartridge 100, the ink cartridge 100 is installed to the image forming device body, there can be a situation of incomplete installation, for example, the installation is offset, and then the problem of accidental contact between the contacts can occur; or if the surface of the ink cartridge 100 is contaminated by dust or ink, a short circuit problem can occur, so that different contacts are connected together. Especially for contacts of different voltage levels, for example, the high-voltage power supply provided by the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 has a higher voltage value, and the signal transmitted by the signal contact of the signal contact group 400 has a lower voltage value. In these cases, if the voltage power supply contact and the signal contact are accidentally contacted, the high-voltage power supply with relatively high voltage will be transmitted to the signal contact, thereby directly loaded to the corresponding signal pin of the printhead unit 200, which can cause damage to the corresponding signal pin of the printhead unit 200, affecting the normal work of the printhead unit 200. In addition, in other cases, when the ink cartridge 100 is not installed properly, if the signal contact and the contact part of the image forming device corresponding to the high-voltage power supply are accidentally contacted, the high-voltage power supply will be directly loaded to the signal pin of the printhead unit 200, which can also cause the problem of pin damage.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 13, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 includes a plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts 510, the signal contact group 400 includes a plurality of signal contacts 401, and the minimum distance A between the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 and the signal contact group 400 is greater than the minimum distance B between the two adjacent high-voltage power supply contacts 510 in the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 and the minimum distance C between the two adjacent signal contacts in the signal contact group 400. It can be understood that by pulling apart the distance between the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 and the signal contact group 400, that is, appropriately increasing the distance between the high-voltage power supply contact 510 and the signal contact 401, the influence of the high-voltage power supply on the components connected to the signal contacts transmitting relatively low-voltage signals can be prevented, and by physically isolating to a certain extent, the possibility of accidental contact between contacts of different voltage levels can be reduced. It can be understood that by increasing the distance between the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 and the signal contact group 400, that is, pulling apart the distance between the contacts of different voltage levels, the problem of accidental contact between the high-voltage power supply contact 510 and the signal contact 401 can be effectively reduced, thereby achieving the purpose of protecting the printhead. In some application scenarios, the situation of the high-voltage power supply being directly applied to the corresponding signal pin of the printhead unit 200 can be effectively reduced, the problem of damage to the corresponding signal pin of the printhead unit 200 can be avoided, the purpose of protecting the printhead unit 200 can be achieved, and the reliability of the work of the printhead unit 200 can be improved.

[0102] It should be noted that the minimum distance between the high-voltage power contact group 500 and the signal contact group 400 can be denoted as a first distance A, the minimum distance between two adjacent high-voltage power contacts 510 can be denoted as a second distance B, and the minimum distance between two adjacent signal contacts 401 in the signal contact group 400 can be denoted as a third distance C. The first distance is greater than the second distance and the third distance, that is, A > B and A > C. It should be noted that the second distance B and the third distance C can be the same or different, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations.

[0103] In the above embodiment, by pulling apart the distance between the high-voltage power contact 510 and each signal contact 401, the overall contact arrangement area can be controlled by compact layout, and the contacts of different voltage levels can be reasonably utilized. Based on this design, the problems of cost optimization and false contact can be considered.

[0104] It should be noted that the minimum distance between the two adjacent high-voltage power contacts 510 and the minimum distance between the two adjacent signal contacts 401 can be the same or different.

[0105] In other embodiments, the distance between all contacts can also be pulled apart, for example, the minimum distance between any two contacts is greater than a preset distance, so as to reduce the problem that the contacts of different voltages are easily affected.

[0106] Based on the above printhead assembly 120, in some embodiments, at least one high-voltage power contact 510 of the plurality of high-voltage power contacts 510 is used to supply power to the first nozzle module 210 and / or the second nozzle module 220. It can be understood that the high-voltage power contact 510 is used to provide high-voltage power to the printhead unit 200. Specifically, in the working state of the printhead unit 200, the high-voltage power contact 510 can supply power to the first nozzle module 210, or supply power to the second nozzle module 220, or supply power to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 at the same time.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 6, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, in the length direction of the printhead assembly 120, at least one of the plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts 510 is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array 211 and used to supply power to the first nozzle module 210, and at least another of the plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts 510 is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array 221 and used to supply power to the second nozzle module 220. It should be noted that the length direction of the printhead assembly 120 can refer to the direction perpendicular to the circuit board 700, and in the length direction of the printhead assembly 120, the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 can be arranged below the corresponding high-voltage power supply contacts 510. In an implementation, at least one of the high-voltage power supply contacts 510 is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle module 210, and at least another of the high-voltage power supply contacts 510 is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle module 220.

[0108] By using different high-voltage power supply contacts 510 to supply power to different nozzle modules and arranging them correspondingly, the physical layout of the high-voltage power supply contacts 510 and the nozzle modules can be matched, so that the power supply distribution can be optimized, and by supplying power to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 respectively, the power supply can be more accurate, and the reliability of the power supply can be effectively improved. At the same time, the interference between different areas during power supply can be reduced, and more precise image forming quality and effect can be achieved.

[0109] It should be noted that the voltage values of the high-voltage power supplied by the different high-voltage power supply contacts 510 to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 can be the same or different.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the circuit board 700 comprises a third contact area 830 and a fourth contact area 840, which are respectively located on both sides of the center line R (or the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400) of the contact unit 300, the high-voltage power contact for supplying power to the first nozzle module 210 is the first high-voltage contact 511, which is arranged in the third contact area 830, the high-voltage power contact for supplying power to the second nozzle module 220 is the second high-voltage contact 512, which is arranged in the fourth contact area 840, the third contact area 830 can correspond to the first nozzle array 211 (or the first nozzle module 210), and the fourth contact area 840 can correspond to the second nozzle array 221 (or the second nozzle module 220), so as to make the layout of the printhead assembly 120 more reasonable. In the length direction of the printhead assembly 120, the first nozzle array 211 is arranged below the first high-voltage contact 511, and the second nozzle array 221 is arranged below the second high-voltage contact 512. In a possible implementation, the third contact area 830 and the fourth contact area 840 are symmetrical with respect to the center line S1 (or the center line R of the contact unit 300) of the signal contact group 400, which can make the distribution of each contact more uniform, and in addition, the symmetrical contact layout can improve the stability of power supply.

[0111] In some application scenarios, the third contact area 830 and the fourth contact area 840 have a certain interval therebetween, which can further reduce the mutual interference between the high-voltage power supplies.

[0112] Based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the first contact area 810, the third contact area 830, and the first nozzle array 211 (or the first nozzle module 210) are arranged correspondingly, and the second contact area 820, the fourth contact area 840, and the second nozzle array 221 (or the second nozzle module 220) are arranged correspondingly.

[0113] In some application scenarios, the first special contact 411, the first high-voltage contact 511, and the first nozzle array 211 (or the first nozzle module 210) are arranged on one side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400 (or the center line R of the contact unit 300), and the second special contact 421, the second high-voltage contact 512, and the second nozzle array 221 (or the second nozzle module 220) are arranged on the other side of the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400 (or the center line R of the contact unit 300), which can better optimize the overall layout of the printhead assembly 120. In a possible implementation, in the up-down direction of the circuit board 700, the first high-voltage contact 511 is arranged below the first special contact 411, and the first nozzle array 211 (or the first nozzle module 210) is arranged below the first high-voltage contact 511. Similarly, the second high-voltage contact 512 is arranged below the second special contact 421, and the second nozzle array 221 (or the second nozzle module 220) is arranged below the second high-voltage contact 512. When the printhead assembly 120 is installed in the ink cartridge 100, in the use state, the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 are located on the lower surface of the ink cartridge 100.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 14, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the contact unit 300 further includes a low-voltage power contact group 610, the low-voltage power contact group 610 includes at least one low-voltage power contact 611, and the at least one low-voltage power contact 611 is configured to provide a low-voltage power supply to the printhead unit 200. The voltage value of the low-voltage power supply is less than that of the high-voltage power supply. It should be noted that in order to ensure the normal operation of the printhead unit 200, the low-voltage power contact 611 is also required to provide a low-voltage power supply to the printhead unit 200 to meet the low-voltage power supply requirement.

[0115] Based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the first nozzle module 210 includes a corresponding first control module, the second nozzle module 220 includes a corresponding second control module, and the first control module and / or the second control module are electrically connected with at least one low-voltage power supply contact 611 for providing low-voltage power supply to the first control module and / or the second control module. It should be noted that the first control module and the second control module are mainly used for controlling the operation of the printhead unit 200, which can receive signals from the image forming device, accurately control the ink ejection actions of the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221, and also can feedback corresponding signals to the image forming device to coordinate and ensure the normal operation of the entire printing process. In a possible implementation, the control module can control different ink ejection actions (such as which color ink to eject, which nozzle to eject, ejection time, ejection amount, etc.). The low-voltage power supply provided by the low-voltage power supply contact 611 to the printhead unit 200 can be used to power the corresponding part of the circuit in the first control module and / or the second control module, for example, to power the part of the circuit responsible for logic control (which is used to process and execute instruction signals), so that the power supply for the signals transmitted by the signal contact can be realized, and the normal operation of the printhead unit 200 can be ensured. It can be understood that the above description is only an example, and the low-voltage power supply can also power other components in the printhead unit 200, which is not limited in the present application.

[0116] For example, the voltage value of the high-voltage power supply can be between 10-30V, and the voltage value of the low-voltage power supply can be between 0.8-6V. It should be noted that the voltage values in the above examples refer to the voltage range of the printhead unit 200 in the normal working state when it is powered, and the values of the above voltage range are only examples, and different values of the voltage can be selected according to the actual situation in the specific implementation.

[0117] In other embodiments, the high-voltage power supply contact 510 can also provide high-voltage power supply to the printhead unit 200 by performing corresponding voltage conversion in the printhead unit 200 to provide low-voltage power supply to the corresponding circuit in the control module.

[0118] Based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of low-voltage power supply contacts 611 is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array 211 in the length direction of the printhead assembly 120, and is used to supply power to the part of the circuit in the printhead unit 200 that processes the signal corresponding to the first nozzle module 210. Specifically, the first nozzle array 211 can be arranged below the corresponding low-voltage power supply contact 611. At least another of the plurality of low-voltage power supply contacts 611 is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array 221, and is used to supply power to the part of the circuit in the printhead unit 200 that processes the signal corresponding to the second nozzle module 220. Specifically, the second nozzle array 221 can be arranged below the corresponding low-voltage power supply contact 611.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 15, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the minimum distance D1 between the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 and the printhead unit 200 is less than the minimum distance D3 between the low-voltage power supply contact group 610 and the printhead unit 200.

[0120] It should be noted that the voltage value of the high-voltage power supply provided by the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 is greater than the voltage value of the low-voltage power supply provided by the low-voltage power supply contact group 610. In some cases, the energy provided by the high-voltage power supply can be used to drive the inkjet driver to achieve ink ejection, i.e., the high-voltage power supply is the main power source for performing ink ejection action, which can directly determine whether the ink droplets can be successfully and accurately generated and ejected. In some application scenarios, the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 can be arranged closer to the printhead unit 200 than the low-voltage power supply contact group 610, which can not only distinguish the contacts of different voltage levels, but also ensure the stability of the high-voltage power supply supplied to the printhead unit 200, which is conducive to improving the ink ejection quality of the printhead unit 200 and ensuring good printing quality.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 15, in some application scenarios, the voltage value of the low-voltage power supply provided by the low-voltage power supply contact 611 is similar to the voltage value of the signal transmitted by the signal contact, and the low-voltage power supply contact 611 and the signal contact can be arranged nearby, and the high-voltage power supply contact 510 can be arranged relatively apart to distinguish the contacts of different voltage levels. For example, the low-voltage power supply contact 611 and the signal contact can be arranged in the first contact area 810 and the second contact area 820, and the high-voltage power supply contact 510 can be arranged in the third contact area 830 and the fourth contact area 840, and the third contact area 830 and the fourth contact area 840 are respectively below the first contact area 810 and the second contact area 820.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 16, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the contact unit 300 further comprises a ground contact group 620, the ground contact group 620 comprising at least one ground contact 621. In order to ensure the integrity, stability and consistency of the signal and power supply, the ground contact 621 corresponding to 0V voltage can be arranged near the signal contact, the high-voltage power supply contact 510 and the low-voltage power supply contact 611.

[0123] In some embodiments, the ground contact 621 can be arranged in the first contact area 810, the second contact area 820, the third contact area 830 and the third contact area 830. For example, when at least one signal contact in the signal contact group 400 is used to transmit a temperature sensor reading signal, the ground contact 621 can be arranged beside the signal contact, and a shielding connection line can be used for appropriate grounding measures to improve signal integrity and anti-interference capability.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, at least one ground contact 621 is further arranged between the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 and the signal contact group 400. By arranging the ground contact 621 between the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 and the signal contact group 400, the high-voltage power supply contact 510 and the signal contact can be effectively separated, avoiding mutual influence between the high-voltage power supply contact 510 and the signal contact, and ensuring the reliability of power supply and signal transmission. In a possible implementation, a plurality of ground contacts 621 are used to separate the high-voltage power supply contact group 500 and the signal contact group 400.

[0125] It should be noted that since the voltage value of the high-voltage power supply provided by the high-voltage power supply contact 510 is greater than the voltage value of the signal transmitted by the signal contact, by arranging the corresponding ground contact 621, the problem of false contact between the high-voltage power supply contact 510 and the signal contact can be further reduced, thereby reducing the influence of the high-voltage power supply on the components connected by the signal contact transmitting relatively low-voltage signals, and facilitating better protection of the printhead.

[0126] Based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the contact unit 300 further comprises a contact detection contact group, the contact detection contact group comprising at least one contact detection contact 631, the at least one contact detection contact 631 being used to detect the contact condition of the printhead assembly 120 and the image forming device. By arranging the contact detection contact 631 described above, whether the printhead assembly 120 is in good contact with the image forming device can be detected, and when poor contact is detected, corresponding troubleshooting can be performed, thereby ensuring normal transmission of signals and facilitating improvement of the working reliability of the image forming device.

[0127] It should be noted that the contact detection contact 631 can be set in different numbers and different positions according to actual needs, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited specifically.

[0128] In some application scenarios, when the printer assembly is arranged on the ink cartridge 100, after the contact detection contact 631 detects the contact condition, it can be judged whether the ink cartridge 100 and the image forming device are installed in place, so as to appropriately adjust the installation position in the case of not being installed in place.

[0129] As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, based on the above-mentioned print head assembly 120, in some embodiments, the contact detection contact group includes three contact detection contacts 631, which are respectively arranged on the left side V1, the right side V2 and the middle region V3 of the signal contact group 400. In order to further improve the accuracy of contact detection, the three contact detection contacts 631 can be dispersed on the left side V1, the right side V2 and the middle region V3 of the signal contact group 400, so that the contact detection contact 631 covers the range where the signal contact group 400 is located as much as possible. Only when all the three contact detection contacts 631 are in good contact, it is considered that the print head assembly 120 is in good contact with the image forming device, which can reduce the misjudgment. It should be noted that the middle region V3 of the signal contact group 400 can be understood as a region formed by extending the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400 to the left and right ends by a first preset distance D4. For example, the first preset distance D4 can be less than 3 mm. In one possible implementation, the contact detection contact 631 located in the middle region V3 of the signal contact group 400 can be arranged on the center line S1 of the signal contact group 400, and the other two contact detection contacts 631 are arranged on the left edge and the right edge of the signal contact group 400 respectively. Further, one of the two contact detection contacts 631 can be arranged on the upper left corner or the lower left corner of the signal contact group 400, and the other can be arranged on the upper right corner or the lower right corner of the signal contact group 400.

[0130] In some embodiments, the contact detection contact 631 can also be arranged in the high-voltage power contact group 500 and the low-voltage power contact group 610.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 20, based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the signal contacts in the signal contact group 400 can be divided into different functional types, and the same type of signal contacts can be arranged together to form a same type of signal contact group 440, which can reduce the mutual crosstalk between different types of signals, and the centralized arrangement of the same type of signal contacts can help to maintain the consistency and synchronization of the transmission signals and improve the stability of the signals. It should be noted that the same type of contact refers to a signal contact that can perform the same function. For example, different types of signal contacts can include address sequence encoding signal contacts, segmented heating zone digital latching signal contacts, black data signal contacts, color data signal contacts, and the like. The above signal contacts can be dedicated contacts or shared contacts 431, and the specific signal contacts can be set according to actual needs, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations. In some application scenarios, different types of signal contacts can be relatively spaced apart by a certain distance, which can further reduce the interference between different types of signals.

[0132] Based on the printhead assembly 120 described above, in some embodiments, the circuit board 700 includes a first circuit board 710 and a second circuit board 720, and the first circuit board 710 and the second circuit board 720 can be connected by a connecting plate 730. In one possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 21, the first nozzle array 211 and the first dedicated contact group 410 are arranged on the first circuit board 710, and the second nozzle array 221 and the second dedicated contact group 420 are arranged on the second circuit board 720. It can be understood that the first dedicated contact 411 for transmitting a dedicated signal to the first nozzle module 210 is arranged on the first circuit board 710, and the second dedicated contact 421 for transmitting a dedicated signal to the second nozzle module 220 is arranged on the second circuit board 720. In another possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 22, the printhead unit 200 is arranged on the first circuit board 710, that is, the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 are arranged on the first circuit board 710, and the contact unit 300 is arranged on the second circuit board 720. In one implementation, the first nozzle module 210 and the first dedicated contact group 410 are arranged on the first circuit board 710, and the second nozzle module 220 and the second dedicated contact group 420 are arranged on the second circuit board 720.

[0133] In the above embodiments, by separately arranging the first circuit board 710 and the second circuit board 720, it is more convenient to replace or maintain different printhead assemblies 120, and the flexibility and maintainability of the structure of the ink cartridge 100 are improved.

[0134] It should be noted that the connecting plate 730 can be arranged on the ink cartridge 100 or mounted on the body of the image forming apparatus, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations.

[0135] Based on the above print head assembly 120, in some embodiments, the first circuit board 710 and the second circuit board 720 are separate circuit boards 700, for example, the first circuit board 710 and the second circuit board 720 can each include two circuit boards, and the first nozzle array 211 (or the first nozzle module 210), the second nozzle array 221 (or the second nozzle module 220), the first dedicated contact group 410, and the second dedicated contact group 420 can be respectively arranged on different circuit boards 700.

[0136] Based on the above print head assembly 120, in some embodiments, the circuit board 700 includes a first adapter plate and a second adapter plate, the second adapter plate is used to connect the first adapter plate and the image forming device, the first adapter plate is provided with the print head unit 200 and the first electric contact group, one side of the second adapter plate is provided with a second electric contact group matched with the first electric contact group, and the contact unit 300 is arranged on the other side of the second adapter plate, the second electric contact group is used to be electrically connected to the contact unit 300, and the electric contacts in the contact unit 300 are matched with the contact part arranged on the image forming device. It can be understood that in the above embodiment, the print head unit 200 and the contact unit 300 are arranged on the first adapter plate and the second adapter plate respectively, the print head unit 200 and the first electric contact group are electrically connected, the second electric contact group is respectively electrically connected to the first electric contact group and the contact unit 300, and the contact unit 300 can be electrically connected to the contact part arranged on the image forming device, so as to realize the electrical connection with the image forming device, and the arrangement structure is more flexible, and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0137] According to some embodiments of the present application, a lead wire for electrical connection is arranged between the print head unit 200 and the contact unit 300.

[0138] In the embodiment, by arranging the lead wire between the print head unit 200 and the contact unit 300, the print head unit 200 and the contact unit 300 are connected by the lead wire, a more stable electrical connection relationship can be provided, and the lead wire provides greater adjustment flexibility, which is convenient for wiring on the ink cartridge 100.

[0139] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate wiring, a lead can be arranged between the intervals between the electrical contacts of the contact unit 300, which can simplify the wiring requirement and reduce the lead crossing. In a possible implementation, the lead can be arranged in the interval region between different contact regions, for example, if the first contact region 810 and the second contact region 820 are arranged at a set distance, and the third contact region 830 and the fourth contact region 840 are arranged at a set distance, the lead can be arranged in the interval region between the first contact region 810 and the second contact region 820, or in the interval region between the third contact region 830 and the fourth contact region 840. It should be noted that the set distance between two contact regions can be varied within a certain range, for example, if the different electrical contact parts between different regions are relatively close, the set distance is relatively small, if the different electrical contact parts between different regions are relatively far apart, the set distance is relatively large, the above set distance can be designed according to the actual application requirement, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitation.

[0140] As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 23, in an embodiment, the first nozzle module 210 of the present application can be electrically connected with the first dedicated contact 411 for transmitting a dedicated signal to the first nozzle module 210 through the first pin 201, and the second nozzle module 220 can be electrically connected with the second dedicated contact 421 for transmitting a dedicated signal to the second nozzle module 220 through the second pin 202. The pins of the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 are arranged on the width direction of the print head unit 200 (parallel to the movement direction of the ink cartridge 100), that is, on the end close to the contact unit 300 and the end away from the contact unit 300. Those skilled in the art can know that the pin position can also be designed in other ways, for example, on the length direction of the print head unit 200 (perpendicular to the movement direction of the ink cartridge 100). It should be noted that the pins can be arranged on the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, and electrically connected with the leads on the circuit board 700, or directly arranged on the circuit board 700, and then electrically connected with the corresponding positions of the nozzle modules after the first nozzle module 210, the second nozzle module 220 and the circuit board 700 are installed.

[0141] In an embodiment, the circuit board 700 can be a flexible printed circuit board. By arranging the flexible printed circuit board, corresponding adjustment can be flexibly made according to the structure design of the ink cartridge 100, compact installation is achieved, and the flexible characteristic of the flexible printed circuit board allows it to be wired in complex geometry, which provides greater flexibility for the design of the print head unit 200 and the contact unit 300. Compared with the traditional rigid printed circuit board, the flexible printed circuit board is lighter, which is conducive to reducing the weight of the entire ink cartridge 100.

[0142] In another embodiment, the circuit board 700 can also be a rigid printed circuit board.

[0143] Based on the above-mentioned print head assembly 120, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 24, the print head assembly 120 of the embodiments of the present application can also be additionally provided with other working contacts 130, which can be arranged on the working device 140 of the ink cartridge 100, and the working device 140 can be connected with the circuit board 700. The working contacts 130 can be electrically connected with the high-voltage power supply contacts 510, and can also be electrically connected with the signal contacts to transmit signals. The working contacts 130 can transmit detection power supply signals for detecting the reliability of work, or transmit signals for data read-write to the signal contacts, etc. The specific functions of the working contacts 130 are not limited in the present application, and those skilled in the art can make corresponding designs according to actual needs. It can be understood that the design scheme shown in FIG. 24 also belongs to the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 25, in another embodiment, in order to meet the working requirements in different scenes, the print head assembly 120 of the embodiments of the present application can also be additionally provided with other working contacts 130, which can be arranged below the high-voltage power supply contacts 510. The specific functions of the working contacts 130 are not limited in the present application, and those skilled in the art can make corresponding designs according to actual needs. For example, the working contacts 130 can also be used to transmit control signals.

[0145] As shown in FIG. 26, it should be noted that the electrical contacts / contacts (i.e. solid parts in FIG. 26) in the contact units 300 mentioned in all embodiments of the present application are actual contact areas for direct contact with the contact parts (such as contact pins) corresponding to the image forming device, and the electrical contacts are at least part of the metal mounting terminals 330. In some embodiments, the electrical contacts and the mounting terminals 330 are the same size. The shape of the electrical contacts and the mounting terminals 330 can be circular, square, arc-shaped, strip-shaped or any shape, etc. The specific shape is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0146] As shown in FIG. 27, in an embodiment, in order to better arrange the space of the contact unit 300 and simplify the contact design process, the mounting terminals 330 in a special shape (for example, in a shape of narrow on top and wide on bottom or wide on top and narrow on bottom) can be directly arranged in the contact unit 300 for electrical connection with the image forming device, and the electrical contacts in the contact unit 300 can be arranged in the mounting terminals 330. For example, in FIG. 27, each mounting terminal 330 appears to form a row of electrical contacts for electrical connection with the image forming device body side, and the shape of the connection terminal appears to be special. However, in fact, the effective contact with the contact portion corresponding to the image forming device body side is two rows of electrical contacts, i.e., the metal part (i.e., the solid part in the figure) directly in effective contact with the contact portion corresponding to the image forming device body side.

[0147] It should be noted that the number of electrical contacts in the contact unit 300 shown in the drawings is only an example and does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. More or fewer electrical contacts can be included in the drawings, and a person skilled in the art can set the corresponding number of electrical contacts according to actual needs. Moreover, the shapes of the contact unit 300, the first contact region 810, the second contact region 820, the third contact region 830, the fourth contact region 840, and the shape surrounded by each contact group in the drawings are only examples, as shown in FIGS. 6-16, 18, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, 29, etc. In a specific implementation, different shapes and different contact regions can be designed according to actual needs, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0148] As shown in FIG. 30, based on the above-described print head assembly 120, in some embodiments, a plurality of mounting positions 240 are arranged on the circuit board 700 to facilitate fixation of the circuit board 700. It should be noted that the mounting positions 240 can be arranged in different numbers and at different positions according to actual conditions, and are not limited to the examples shown in the drawings. In a possible implementation, some of the mounting positions 240 can be arranged at the corner regions of the outer edge of the contact unit 300. In order to prevent the mounting positions 240 at the corner regions from affecting the pads of the electrical contacts during drilling or other operations, blank positions can be reserved at the corner regions of the contact unit 300 (as shown in FIG. 29).

[0149] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 32, the embodiments of the present application also provide an ink cartridge 100, which includes the print head assembly 120 and the housing 110 according to any of the above embodiments. The housing 110 is internally provided with an ink chamber for containing ink, the contact unit 300 is arranged on the side wall of the housing 110, and the print head unit 200 is arranged on the lower surface of the housing 110.

[0150] In the above embodiments, by arranging the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 on the lower surface of the housing 110 of the ink cartridge 100, the distance between the first nozzle array 211, the second nozzle array 221 and the image forming medium is closer, so that the landing point of the ink droplets can be more accurately controlled; by arranging the contact unit 300 on the side wall of the housing 110, the space on the side wall of the housing 110 can be more effectively utilized, so that the ink cartridge 100 is more compact as a whole, and electrical contact with the body of the image forming device is more convenient; the contact unit 300 can be electrically connected to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 respectively, so that the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 can spray the ink in the ink chamber onto the image forming medium to form an image. Moreover, by arranging the first dedicated contact group 410 and the second dedicated contact group 420, the spraying management of different nozzle modules can be realized, and by optimizing the arrangement of the printhead assembly 120, the first dedicated contact group 410 is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array 211, and the second dedicated contact group 420 is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array 221, the structure is optimized from the physical layout, the wiring structure is optimized, the signal transmission accuracy is improved, the control accuracy of the printhead unit 200 is improved, so that the printing process of the image forming device can be more finely controlled, which is beneficial to improve the image forming quality.

[0151] As shown in FIG. 32, based on the above-mentioned ink cartridge 100, in some embodiments, the printhead unit 200 is arranged in the middle region F of the lower surface of the housing 110. By arranging the printhead unit 200 in the middle region F of the lower surface of the housing 110, the ink in each direction can be more uniformly converged to the middle region F, ensuring the directness and shortestness of the ink path, avoiding the situation that part of the ink is difficult to reach the nozzle module due to positional deviation, so that the ink can efficiently and smoothly enter the nozzle module and be sprayed out of the corresponding nozzle hole, ensuring the stability of the ink supply, and thereby improving the printing quality. It should be noted that the above-mentioned middle region F can refer to a region formed by extending the center line G of the lower surface of the housing to both ends by a second predetermined distance D5, and the size of the second predetermined distance D5 can be set according to actual conditions, which is not specifically limited in the present application.

[0152] As shown in FIGS. 30 and 31, in some embodiments, the printhead unit 200 and the contact unit 300 can be mounted on a circuit board 700, and the circuit board 700 is mounted on the cover plate 230, which can be arranged on the housing 110 of the ink cartridge 100. The circuit board 700 can be fixed on the cover plate 230 by means of adhesion, fasteners or other means.

[0153] In an embodiment, the ink cartridge 100 is a black color integrated structure, the first nozzle array 211 is used to spray black ink, and the second nozzle array 221 is used to spray color ink. Integrating the first nozzle array 211 and the second nozzle array 221 on the same ink cartridge 100, the integrated ink cartridge 100 design can effectively save the structure space, and is conducive to the miniaturization design of the overall structure of the ink cartridge 100. In addition, it can ensure that the printing quality of black ink and color ink remains consistent, avoid color deviation caused by different ink cartridges 100, and at the same time, reduce the switching time of the image forming device between black ink and color ink, and improve the image forming efficiency.

[0154] It should be noted that the various embodiments of the ink cartridge 100 in the present application can refer to the various embodiments of the print head assembly 120 described above, and the specific design principles and beneficial effects are similar, which will not be repeated here.

[0155] The embodiments of the present application also provide an image forming device, which comprises the ink cartridge 100 of any of the above embodiments, a carriage and a control unit; the ink cartridge 100 is detachably mounted on the image forming device, the carriage is used to carry the ink cartridge 100 to reciprocate in the vertical direction of the moving direction of the print medium; and the control unit is used to control the carriage to reciprocate and send a signal to the contact unit 300 in the ink cartridge 100, so that the print head unit 200 in the ink cartridge 100 sprays ink to the print medium based on the above signal.

[0156] Based on the image forming device of the above embodiment, the carriage is a carrying device of the ink cartridge 100, which carries the ink cartridge 100 to reciprocate in the vertical direction of the moving direction of the print medium. Based on the carriage driving the ink cartridge 100 to move, the ink can be sprayed to any position on the print medium. The control unit can be a control chip of the image forming device, or a control system in the image forming device. The control unit can control the reciprocating movement of the carriage, the ink spraying timing of the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220, and the movement of the print medium, so that the movement of the print medium, the reciprocating movement of the carriage, and the ink spraying timing of the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 are matched, and the printing of the print pattern received by the image forming device on the print medium is realized.

[0157] In an embodiment, the first nozzle array 211 is configured to eject black ink, the first nozzle module 210 is a black print head, the second nozzle array 221 is configured to eject color ink, the second nozzle module 220 is a color print head, and the control unit can send a control signal to the contact unit 300 in the ink cartridge 100, the first nozzle module 210 ejects black ink to the printing medium based on the signal, and the second nozzle module 220 ejects color ink to the printing medium based on the signal. Alternatively, the first nozzle array 211 is configured to eject color ink, and the second nozzle array 221 is configured to eject black ink, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations.

[0158] It should be noted that in the image forming apparatus of the above embodiment, the first dedicated contact group 410 in the print head assembly 120 is configured to correspond to the first nozzle array 211, and the second dedicated contact group 420 is configured to correspond to the second nozzle array 221, that is, a plurality of first dedicated contacts 411 are configured to correspond to the first nozzle array 211, which can accurately control the ink ejection action of the first nozzle array 211, and a plurality of second dedicated contacts 421 are configured to correspond to the second nozzle array 221, which can accurately control the ink ejection action of the second nozzle array 221, and the different dedicated contact groups can be matched with the physical layout of the corresponding nozzle modules. The dedicated contacts can be directly connected to the corresponding nozzle modules, the transmission paths of the dedicated signals transmitted to the first nozzle module 210 and the second nozzle module 220 are relatively independent, which makes the signal transmission path more reasonable and orderly, reduces the crosstalk between different signals, ensures the stability and accuracy of signal transmission, and can improve the control accuracy of the print head unit 200, which is beneficial to improve the printing quality and efficiency, optimizes the contact arrangement structure, and can reduce the cross of leads to a certain extent and reduce the complexity of the circuit.

[0159] It should be noted that the various embodiments of the image forming apparatus of the present application can refer to the various embodiments of the print head assembly 120 described above, and the specific design principles and beneficial effects are similar, which will not be repeated here.

[0160] It should be noted that the image forming apparatus of the embodiments of the present application can realize image forming control by using thermal inkjet technology and piezoelectric inkjet technology. Specifically, the image forming apparatus can be an inkjet printer, a handheld inkjet machine, an inkjet label machine, etc.

[0161] As shown in FIG. 33, FIG. 33 is a structural schematic diagram of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present application. The inkjet printer 1000 comprises a cartridge 100, a paper tray 1010, a paper outlet 1020, a cover 1030, and a button 1040. The inkjet printer 1000 can be configured to have the paper enter from the paper tray 1010 and exit from the paper outlet 1020, and the internal paper feeding mode can be configured as "C" or "S". The cover 1030 can be a cover, and in some cases, a scanning device can be arranged on the cover 1030 to realize a copying function. The button 1040 is in communication connection with a control unit of the inkjet printer, and a user can send a printing instruction to the inkjet printer through the button 1040. In the inkjet printer, when the ink in the cartridge 100 is used up, the cartridge 100 needs to be replaced to obtain ink for continuous printing.

[0162] As shown in FIG. 34, FIG. 34 is a structural schematic diagram of another inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present application. The inkjet printer 1000 comprises a cartridge 100, a paper tray 1010, a paper outlet 1020, a cover 1030, a button 1040, an ink reservoir 1050, and an ink pipe 1060. The paper tray 1010, the paper outlet 1020, the cover 1030, and the button 1040 are the same as those in the embodiment of FIG. 33. The inkjet printer stores more ink in the ink reservoir 1050, and when one or more colors of ink in the cartridge 100 are used up, the corresponding color of ink can be supplemented from the ink reservoir 1050 to the cartridge 100, and the ink can be transported from the ink reservoir 1050 to the cartridge 100 through the ink pipe 1060, so that the cartridge 100 can be used for a longer time.

[0163] Those skilled in the art can understand that the structural schematic diagrams shown in FIGS. 1 to 34 do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present application, and can include more or fewer components than those shown, or combine some components, or have different component arrangements.

[0164] In the description of the present application, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "a specific embodiment", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present application, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. It should be noted that each of the embodiments described herein can be combined with each other, that is, the implementation manners of different embodiments can be adjusted and combined according to actual application conditions, and the embodiments of the present application are not specifically limited.

[0165] The above describes the preferred embodiments of the present application, but the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or replacements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these equivalent modifications or replacements are all included in the scope defined by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A printhead assembly (120) comprising: The application relates to a print head assembly (120) comprising: a circuit board (700); a print head unit (200) arranged on the circuit board (700), the print head unit (200) comprising a first nozzle module (210) and a second nozzle module (220), the first nozzle module (210) comprising a first nozzle array (211) for ejecting ink of at least one color, the second nozzle module (220) comprising a second nozzle array (221) for ejecting ink of at least another color; a contact unit (300) arranged on the circuit board (700), the contact unit (300) being configured to connect to an image forming device and to electrically connect to the print head unit (200), the contact unit (300) comprising a signal contact group (400) configured to transmit signals to the print head unit (200); wherein the signal contact group (400) comprises a first dedicated contact group (410) and a second dedicated contact group (420), the first dedicated contact group (410) comprising a plurality of first dedicated contacts (411) configured to transmit dedicated signals of the first nozzle module (210), the second dedicated contact group (420) comprising a plurality of second dedicated contacts (421) configured to transmit dedicated signals of the second nozzle module (220); in a length direction of the print head assembly (120), the first dedicated contact group (410) is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array (211), and the second dedicated contact group (420) is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array (221).

2. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 1, wherein, The signal contact group (400) further comprises a common contact group (430) comprising a plurality of common contacts (431) configured to transmit common signals of the first nozzle module (210) and the second nozzle module (220).

3. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 1, wherein, The first dedicated contact group (410) and the second dedicated contact group (420) are arranged on two sides of a center line (S1) of the signal contact group (400), respectively, and the center line (S1) of the signal contact group (400) is parallel to the length direction of the print head assembly (120).

4. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 3, wherein, The first nozzle array (211) is arranged on one side of the center line (S1), and at least part of the second nozzle array (221) is arranged on the other side of the center line (S1).

5. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 3, wherein, The first dedicated contact group (410) and the first nozzle array (211) are located on a first side of the center line (S1), and the second dedicated contact group (420) and at least part of the second nozzle array (221) are located on a second side of the center line (S1).

6. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 1, wherein, The circuit board (700) comprises a first contact area (810) and a second contact area (820), the first contact area (810) and the second contact area (820) are respectively located on both sides of the center line (S1) of the signal contact group (400); the first special contact group (410) is arranged in the first contact area (810), and the second special contact group (420) is arranged in the second contact area (820).

7. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 6, wherein, The first contact area (810) and the second contact area (820) are symmetrical with respect to the center line (S1) of the signal contact group (400).

8. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 6, wherein, The signal contact group (400) further comprises a common contact group (430), the common contact group (430) comprises a plurality of common contacts (431), and the plurality of common contacts (431) are used for transmitting common signals of the first nozzle module (210) and the second nozzle module (220); the plurality of common contacts (431) are arranged in the first contact area (810) and / or the second contact area (820).

9. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 1, wherein, The contact unit (300) further comprises a high-voltage power supply contact group (500), the high-voltage power supply contact group (500) comprises a plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts (510), and the plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts (510) are used for providing high-voltage power supply for the print head unit (200), the voltage value of the high-voltage power supply being greater than the voltage value of the signals transmitted by the plurality of signal contacts.

10. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 9, wherein, The minimum distance between the high-voltage power supply contact group (500) and the print head unit (200) is less than the minimum distance between the signal contact group (400) and the print head unit (200).

11. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 9, wherein, The minimum distance between the high-voltage power supply contact group (500) and the signal contact group (400) is greater than the minimum distance between two adjacent high-voltage power supply contacts (510) in the high-voltage power supply contact group (500) and the minimum distance between two adjacent signal contacts in the signal contact group (400).

12. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 9, wherein, At least one high-voltage power supply contact (510) in the plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts (510) is used for supplying power to the first nozzle module (210) and / or the second nozzle module (220).

13. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 12, wherein, At least one high-voltage power supply contact (510) in the plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts (510) is arranged corresponding to the first nozzle array (211) and is used for supplying power to the first nozzle module (210), and at least another high-voltage power supply contact (510) in the plurality of high-voltage power supply contacts (510) is arranged corresponding to the second nozzle array (221) and is used for supplying power to the second nozzle module (220).

14. The print at least head assembly (120) of claim 9, wherein, The contact unit (300) further comprises a low-voltage power supply contact group (610), the low-voltage power supply contact group (610) comprises at least one low-voltage power supply contact (611), and the at least one low-voltage power supply contact (611) is used for providing low-voltage power supply for the print head unit (200), the voltage value of the low-voltage power supply being less than the voltage value of the high-voltage power supply.

15. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 14, wherein, The minimum distance between the high-voltage power contact group (500) and the print head unit (200) is less than the minimum distance between the low-voltage power contact group (610) and the print head unit (200).

16. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 9, wherein, The contact unit (300) further comprises a ground contact group (620) comprising at least one ground contact (621), and at least one ground contact (621) is further arranged between the high-voltage power contact group (500) and the signal contact group (400).

17. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 1, wherein, The contact unit (300) further comprises a contact detection contact group comprising at least one contact detection contact (631), and the at least one contact detection contact (631) is used to detect the contact of the print head assembly (120) with the image forming device.

18. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 17, wherein, The contact detection contact group (630) comprises three contact detection contacts (631) arranged on the left side, the right side and the middle region of the signal contact group (400) respectively.

19. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 1, wherein, The first nozzle array (211) comprises at least one nozzle group, and the second nozzle array (221) comprises at least one nozzle group, and the nozzle group is used to eject ink of one color.

20. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 19, wherein, The first nozzle array (211) comprises a first nozzle group (Q1), and the second nozzle array (221) comprises a second nozzle group (Q2), a third nozzle group (Q3) and a fourth nozzle group (Q4); the first nozzle group (Q1) is used to eject ink of a first color, the second nozzle group (Q2) is used to eject ink of a second color, the third nozzle group (Q3) is used to eject ink of a third color, and the fourth nozzle group (Q4) is used to eject ink of a fourth color.

21. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 19, wherein, The first nozzle array (211) comprises a first nozzle group (Q1), a second nozzle group (Q2) and a third nozzle group (Q3), and the second nozzle array (221) comprises a fourth nozzle group (Q4); the first nozzle group (Q1) is used to eject ink of a first color, the second nozzle group (Q2) is used to eject ink of a second color, the third nozzle group (Q3) is used to eject ink of a third color, and the fourth nozzle group (Q4) is used to eject ink of a fourth color.

22. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 20, wherein, The first color is black, the second color is cyan, the third color is magenta, and the fourth color is yellow.

23. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 21, wherein, The first color is cyan, the second color is magenta, the third color is yellow, and the fourth color is black.

24. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 1, wherein, The circuit board (700) comprises a first circuit board (710) and a second circuit board (720), the first nozzle array (211) and the first dedicated contact group (410) are arranged on the first circuit board (710), and the second nozzle array (221) and the second dedicated contact group (420) are arranged on the second circuit board (720). Alternatively, the print head unit (200) is arranged on the first circuit board (710), and the contact unit (300) is arranged on the second circuit board (720).

25. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 1, wherein, The circuit board (700) comprises a first adapter plate and a second adapter plate, the second adapter plate is used to connect the first adapter plate and the image forming device, the first adapter plate is provided with the printhead unit (200) and a first electric contact group, one side of the second adapter plate is provided with a second electric contact group matched with the first electric contact group, the contact unit (300) is arranged on the other side of the second adapter plate, the second electric contact group is used to be electrically connected to the contact unit (300), and the electric contact in the contact unit (300) is matched with a contact part arranged on the image forming device.

26. The printhead assembly (120) of claim 1, wherein, The first nozzle module (210) and the second nozzle module (220) are integrally formed or arranged at intervals.

27. An ink cartridge (100) comprising the printhead assembly (120) according to any one of claims 1 to 26 and a housing (110), the housing (110) is internally provided with an ink chamber for containing ink, the contact unit (300) is arranged on a side wall of the housing (110), and the printhead unit (200) is arranged on a lower surface of the housing (110).

28. The ink cartridge (100) of claim 27, wherein, The printhead unit (200) is arranged in a middle region of the lower surface of the housing (110).

29. An image forming apparatus, characterized by comprising: Comprising: The ink cartridge (100) according to claim 27 or 28, the ink cartridge (100) is detachably mounted on the image forming device; A carriage for carrying the ink cartridge (100) to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the print medium; A control unit for controlling the carriage to reciprocate and sending a signal to the contact unit (300) in the ink cartridge (100) so that the printhead unit (200) sprays ink to the print medium based on the signal.

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