Developing Cartridge Storage Member Positioning for Toner Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printers experience unstable and unreliable electrical connections between the developing cartridge and the printer, leading to potential damage from high voltage discharging and reduced operational stability due to improper contact sequencing and contamination from toner splashes.
Innovation Solution
The developing cartridge is designed with a storage member having contacts with varying heights and arranged in specific sequences for connection and disconnection to prevent reverse currents and ensure stable grounding, and the storage member is positioned to minimize vibration effects and toner contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the developing cartridge is designed with conventional contact arrangement and mounting sequence, then the structure is simple, but the electrical connection becomes unstable and unreliable due to vibration and impact during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by designing the contact structure to establish grounding connection before power connection during the mounting process. The grounding contact is positioned to engage first when the developing cartridge is inserted into the printer, ensuring that the storage member is properly grounded before any voltage is applied, thereby preventing high voltage discharge damage and ensuring stable electrical connection throughout operation.
2Reliability
If the contacts are connected without specific sequencing, then the mounting process is simple, but reverse electric current can damage the storage member elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by arranging the contact structure so that the grounding contact engages first during insertion and disconnects last during removal. This sequencing ensures that the storage member is grounded before power is applied and remains grounded until power is completely disconnected, preventing reverse current damage without requiring complex control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies inversion by reversing the conventional connection sequence - instead of connecting power first and grounding later, the grounding contact is designed to connect first and disconnect last. This inverted sequence naturally protects the storage member from reverse current and high voltage discharge through the structural arrangement of the contacts themselves.
3Reliability
If the storage member is positioned close to the developing roller for compact design, then the device size is reduced, but toner contamination damages the storage member
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the storage member from the contaminated environment near the developing roller and placing it in a clean location within the developing cartridge. The storage member is positioned in the housing away from the developing roller, separated from the toner splash zone, thereby protecting it from contamination while maintaining a compact overall design.
4Reliability
If the contacts are made with uniform height for manufacturing simplicity, then the manufacturing process is easier, but the connection stability under vibration and impact is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by giving different heights to different contacts based on their specific functional requirements. The grounding contact is designed with a greater height than the power contact, creating different local characteristics optimized for their respective functions - the taller grounding contact ensures stable ground connection under vibration and impact, while the shorter power contact is sufficient for its purpose.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides a toner cartridge for an image forming apparatus, a developing cartridge and the image forming apparatus. The toner cartridge includes a housing, the housing includes a toner chamber configured to store toner, and a developing roller is disposed at a rear side of the housing. The toner cartridge also includes a storage member disposed on a lower surface of the housing and configured to store information of the toner cartridge; and with respect to the rear side of the housing for disposing the developing roller, the storage member is located closer to a front side of the housing opposite to the rear side. The toner cartridge of the present disclosure can solve a problem that in conventional printers, the storage member of the developing cartridge is easy to be contaminated the storage member of the developing cartridge, which may result in a weak connection between the storage member of the developing cartridge and the main body of the printer.