Cartridge Electrical Contact Alignment and Stability Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
As circuits become highly integrated, the smaller size of circuit boards and electrodes can lead to inaccurate positioning issues when mounting cartridges in printers, resulting in potential separation of electrodes and contacts due to vibrations, disrupting electrical contact.
Innovation Solution
A system with a cartridge and attachment section, where the cartridge has a board supported by a board supporting portion with an electrical interface, and the attachment section includes a contact that moves between contact and non-contact positions, utilizing biasing members to ensure correct alignment and stable electrical contact by accommodating the board between offset walls during insertion and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the circuit board size is reduced to accommodate highly integrated circuits, then the electrode size becomes smaller, but the positioning accuracy between electrodes and contacts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a positioning structure comprising positioning protrusions on the circuit board and corresponding positioning recesses in the cartridge body as intermediary elements. These mechanical features act as mediators to ensure accurate alignment between the small electrodes and contacts, resolving the positioning accuracy issue that arises from reduced circuit board size.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning structure is designed to establish correct alignment between the circuit board and cartridge before the electrodes make contact. The positioning protrusions and recesses engage first during insertion, pre-aligning the components so that subsequent electrode-contact contact occurs at the correct position, thereby ensuring manufacturing precision despite smaller component sizes.
2Loss of substance
If the electrode size is reduced due to smaller circuit boards, then the material consumption decreases, but the contact stability under vibration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a biasing member (spring) that applies a predetermined contact force to push the electrodes against the contacts. This beforehand cushioning mechanism ensures stable electrical contact by compensating for any positioning deviations or vibrations, maintaining reliability despite the reduced size and material consumption of the electrodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the elastic properties of the biasing member to dynamically adjust the contact force between electrodes and contacts. By changing the mechanical parameter of contact force through spring compression, the system maintains stable electrical connection even with smaller, more vulnerable electrodes, thereby improving reliability without increasing material consumption.
3Reliability
If the contact force is increased to prevent separation under vibration, then the contact stability improves, but the risk of damaging the smaller electrodes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a spring-based biasing member that provides a controlled, elastic contact force. Unlike rigid connections that apply excessive force, the spring can be designed with appropriate stiffness to deliver sufficient contact pressure for stability while inherently limiting the maximum force to prevent damage to the fragile, small electrodes. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between contact stability and electrode strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing member utilizes the flexibility and elasticity of spring material to achieve both contact stability and protection of the electrodes. The flexible nature of the spring allows it to conform to slight positioning variations while maintaining contact pressure, and its elastic properties prevent transmission of harmful shock loads to the delicate electrodes, thereby simultaneously improving reliability and protecting structural integrity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures stable electrical contact between the electrical interface and contact only when the board is correctly positioned, preventing separation and maintaining contact even under mechanical stress or vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
a first biasing member configured to bias the second wall in the fourth direction
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (10) includes a cartridge (30) and an attachment section (110) to which a cartridge (30) is detachably attachable. The cartridge (30) includes a board supporting portion (84) supporting a board (85) on which an electrical interface (89) is mounted. The attachment section (110) includes a contact (131) movable between a contact position capable of contacting the electrical interface (89) and a non-contact position incapable of contacting the electrical interface (89), a first wall (151), and a second wall (127) movable between a first position allowing the contact (131) to move to the contact position and a second position moving the contact (131) to the non-contact position. When the cartridge (30) has been completely attached to the attachment section (110), the board supporting portion (84) is positioned between the front wall (155) and the second wall (127) at the first position.