Movable Memory Contact for Image Forming Cartridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
The contact portion of the memory unit in image forming cartridges is prone to pollution and damage during handling and mounting/detachment, leading to potential connection defects between the cartridge and the image forming apparatus.
Innovation Solution
The contact portion of the memory unit is designed to be manually movable between a hidden position inside the cartridge and a protruding position for electrical connection, with a protection member to prevent collision and damage, ensuring reliable electrical connectivity and reducing the risk of contact defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the contact portion is exposed for electrical connection, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the contact portion becomes vulnerable to pollution and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The contact portion is designed to be movable between a hidden position (when the cartridge is not mounted) and a protruding position (when the cartridge is mounted). This dynamic structure allows the contact portion to be exposed only when needed for electrical connection, and retracted when not in use to prevent pollution and damage. The movable design resolves the contradiction by making the contact portion's exposure conditional rather than permanent.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge structure includes a guide groove and guide protrusion that automatically guide the contact portion to the correct protruding position when the cartridge is mounted in the image forming apparatus. This preliminary positioning action ensures that the contact portion is properly exposed and aligned before electrical connection is established, preventing misalignment damage while maintaining reliable connectivity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the contact portion is movable between hidden and protruding positions, then protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact portion is separated from the main cartridge body as an independent movable component. This segmentation allows the contact portion to move independently between hidden and protruding positions through a simple guide groove and guide protrusion mechanism, rather than requiring complex mechanical structures. The segmented design reduces overall device complexity while achieving the protection function.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide groove and guide protrusion act as intermediary structures that facilitate the movement of the contact portion. These simple geometric features provide the necessary guidance and constraint for the contact portion's motion without requiring complex mechanical components. The intermediary structures resolve the contradiction by enabling protected movement through minimalistic design elements.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A
AI summary
A cartridge (100) that is attached to or detached from a main body (1) of an image forming apparatus. The cartridge (100) includes a memory unit (110) that includes a contact portion (112) via which the cartridge (100) is connected to the main body (1) and is connected to the main body (10) to transmit information of the cartridge (100) to the main body (1). The contact portion (112) is moved to a first position at which the contact portion (112) is hidden inside the cartridge (100) and a second position at which the contact portion (112) is protruded out of the cartridge (100) to be connected to a connection portion provided in the main body (1).