CN220357435U - Process cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model provides a process cartridge detachably mounted in an image forming apparatus provided with a stylus, the process cartridge including a housing and a chip assembly coupled with the housing, the chip assembly including a chip and a chip frame for supporting the chip, the chip and the chip frame being coupled by an adhesive; the chip frame is detachably combined with the shell, the chip is used for being in electrical contact with the contact pins, the processing box is in communication connection with the imaging equipment, when the chip is required to be upgraded, a user can directly detach the chip assembly from the shell, then upgrade the original chip, replace an upgraded chip, or directly replace the whole chip assembly.

Description

Process cartridge

Technical Field

The present utility model relates to the field of electrophotographic image forming, and more particularly, to a process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

Background

The process cartridge is a consumable material suitable for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, which contains a developer required for image formation, and develops an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of a photosensitive member by the developer under the action of an electric field force when the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is operated.

There is a method of mounting a chip in a process cartridge to achieve a communication connection between the process cartridge and an image forming apparatus, and when the process cartridge reaches a predetermined mounting position of the image forming apparatus, the chip is in electrical contact with a stylus in the image forming apparatus, so that the image forming apparatus can learn various parameter information stored in the chip, for example, at least one of a model number of the process cartridge, manufacturing information, image forming lifetime information, and the like.

In order to improve the use experience of a user, an imaging equipment manufacturer can upgrade a main component in the imaging equipment in a remote control mode at intervals, and further, related information stored in a chip also needs to be updated in time, otherwise, the imaging equipment cannot identify the chip, and then the processing box cannot work in the imaging equipment.

The existing chip is generally fixed in a preset chip fixing part in the processing box in a clamping manner, after the main component in the imaging equipment is upgraded, a user may not be able to take out the chip to upgrade the chip in time, and therefore, a structure convenient for the user to upgrade the chip is required to be designed.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this, the present utility model provides a process cartridge adopting the following technical scheme, so that a user can conveniently upgrade a chip, or conveniently replace a chip before upgrade, and the specific scheme is as follows:

a process cartridge detachably mounted in an image forming apparatus provided with a stylus, the process cartridge including a housing and a chip assembly coupled with the housing, the chip assembly including a chip and a chip frame for supporting the chip, the chip and the chip frame being coupled by an adhesive; the chip carrier is detachably combined with the shell, the chip is used for being in electrical contact with the contact pins, so that the processing box is in communication connection with the imaging equipment.

Specifically, the chip carrier includes a main body portion and a support portion protruding from the main body portion, a step portion is formed between the support portion and the main body portion, and the support portion forms a support surface for supporting the chip, and in a direction intersecting a thickness direction of the substrate, the support surface communicates with the step portion without obstruction.

The support surface is a plane formed at the +z direction end of the support portion, and a surface of the chip opposite to the support surface is a plane.

The chip includes a substrate and electrical contacts provided on the substrate, and an adhesive bearing portion for facing the support surface is formed on a surface of the substrate on which the electrical contacts are not provided in a thickness direction of the substrate.

In some embodiments, the chip further includes a storage portion electrically connected to the electrical contact portion, the storage portion being arranged offset from the electrical contact portion in a thickness direction of the substrate.

In some embodiments, the chip further includes a storage portion electrically connected to the electrical contact portion, the substrate including a first substrate and a second substrate in a direction intersecting a thickness direction of the substrate, wherein the electrical contact portion is disposed on the first substrate, and the storage portion is disposed on the second substrate.

In some embodiments, a process cartridge includes a first unit, a second unit, an end cap, and a separation mechanism, the first unit and the second unit being rotatably coupled through the end cap; the first unit comprises a first unit box body and a developing part rotatably arranged in the first unit box body, and the second unit comprises a second unit box body and a photosensitive part rotatably arranged in the second unit box body; the shell comprises a first unit box body, a second unit box body and an end cover; the separating mechanism is used for receiving separating force from the imaging device and forcing the developing member and the photosensitive member to separate from each other; when the process cartridge is mounted to a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus, the separation mechanism and the chip assembly are located below and above the process cartridge, respectively.

In some embodiments, the process cartridge further includes an error preventing device provided on the housing for cooperating with a corresponding portion in the image forming apparatus to prevent a user from mounting the process cartridge to an erroneous position.

In some embodiments, the process cartridge further includes first and second driving force receiving members exposed through first and second exposing holes provided on the end caps, respectively, along an x-direction of the process cartridge, and a developing member and a photosensitive member rotatably provided in the casing; wherein the first driving force receiving member is configured to receive driving force from the image forming apparatus to drive the developing member to rotate, and the second driving force receiving member is configured to receive driving force from the image forming apparatus to drive the photosensitive member to rotate; the end cap is further formed with an exposed portion, and at least one of the first and second exposed holes communicates with the exposed portion in a direction perpendicular to the x-direction.

In some embodiments, the process cartridge further includes a shutter provided on the end cap, the separation mechanism having a separation force receiving surface for receiving the separation force, the shutter being further away from the first cartridge body or the second cartridge body than the separation mechanism in the x-direction, a lower end of the separation force receiving surface being not lower than a lower end of the shutter when the process cartridge is mounted to a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus.

Drawings

Fig. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a process cartridge having a chip assembly according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 1C is a side view of the process cartridge of fig. 1A viewed from the +x direction toward the-x direction.

Fig. 1D is a side view of a process cartridge having a chip assembly according to the first embodiment of the present utility model, as viewed from the +x direction to the-x direction, after a partial structure of the cartridge is deformed.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a chip assembly according to a first embodiment of the present utility model separated from a process cartridge housing.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a chip assembly according to a first embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of a chip assembly according to a second embodiment of the present utility model after separation of a chip carrier from a chip.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a chip assembly according to a third embodiment of the present utility model after separation of a chip carrier from a chip.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a chip assembly according to a third embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of a chip assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the present utility model after separation of a chip carrier from a chip.

Fig. 8A is an exploded view of a chip assembly according to a fifth embodiment of the present utility model separated from a process cartridge housing.

Fig. 8B is a perspective view of a chip assembly according to a fifth embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a chip assembly according to a fifth embodiment of the present utility model after being mounted to a process cartridge housing.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present utility model are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings; fig. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a process cartridge having a chip assembly according to an embodiment of the present utility model; FIG. 1C is a side view of the process cartridge of FIG. 1A from the +x direction to the-x direction;

FIG. 1D is a side view from the +x direction to the-x direction after a partial structure of a process cartridge having a chip assembly according to the first embodiment of the present utility model is deformed; FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a chip assembly according to a first embodiment of the present utility model shown separated from a process cartridge housing; fig. 3 is a perspective view of a chip assembly according to a first embodiment of the present utility model.

[ overall structure of Process Cartridge ]

The process cartridge 100 is detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge 100 including a first unit 1 and a second unit 2 coupled to each other and an end cap 4 at an end of the process cartridge, the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 being coupled by the end cap 4, and specifically, the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 being coupled in a relatively rotatable manner by the end cap 4.

The first unit 1 includes a first casing 10 and a developing member 11 rotatably provided in the first casing 10, the second unit 2 includes a second casing 20 and a photosensitive member 21 rotatably provided in the second casing 20, the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 extend in the same direction to be parallel to each other, and the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 are arranged opposite to each other, the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 are brought close to each other when the process cartridge 100 is operated/developed, the surface of the photosensitive member 21 forms an electrostatic latent image, and the developing member 11 is used to supply the developer stored in the first casing 10 to the surface of the photosensitive member 21 to develop the electrostatic latent image.

The process cartridge 100 further includes a driving force receiving member 3 for receiving a driving force from the image forming apparatus and driving the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 to rotate, the driving force receiving member 3 may be provided to simultaneously supply one of the driving forces to the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21, or may be provided to supply two of the driving forces to the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21, respectively, as shown in fig. 1, the driving force receiving member 3 includes a first driving force receiving member 31 for supplying a driving force to the developing member 11 and a second driving force receiving member 32 for supplying a driving force to the photosensitive member 21, at least a portion of the driving force receiving member 3 being exposed to the outside through the cap 4 in the x-direction; obviously, when the driving force receiving members 3 are provided in two, not only the driving force transmitting structures in the image forming apparatus and the process cartridge can be simplified, but also the loads of the driving force outputting member in the image forming apparatus and the driving force receiving assembly can be reduced, and accordingly, the service lives of the driving force outputting member and the driving force receiving member can be prolonged.

The end cap 4 includes an end cap body 40, and first and second exposing holes 41 and 42 provided on the end cap body 40, the first driving force receiving member 31 rotates about the first rotation axis L1 and is exposed outward through the first exposing hole 41, and the second driving force receiving member 42 rotates about the second rotation axis L2 and is exposed outward through the second exposing hole 42.

Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the extending direction of the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 is defined as an x direction/longitudinal direction, the arrangement direction of the first and second cartridges 10 and 20 (the direction in which the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 are opposed) is defined as a y direction/lateral direction, and the direction intersecting the x direction and the y direction is defined as a z direction/vertical direction. Wherein the driving force receiving assembly 3 and the end cover 4 are both disposed at the end of the process cartridge in the x-direction, the side of the driving force receiving assembly 3 is referred to as a driving side F, the side opposite to the driving side is a non-driving side E, the direction from the driving side F to the non-driving side E is the-x direction, and the direction from the non-driving side E to the driving side F is the +x direction; the direction from the first casing 10 to the second casing 20 (the direction from the developing member 11 to the photosensitive member 21) is the-y direction, and conversely, the direction from the second casing 20 to the first casing 10 (the direction from the photosensitive member 21 to the developing member 11) is the +y direction; the side from which the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 are not mounted is directed in the-z direction, and conversely, the side from which the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 are mounted is directed in the +z direction, from which the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 are not mounted, and when the process cartridge 100 is mounted to the image forming apparatus, the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 will be located below the process cartridge, i.e., in the +z direction, upward, and in the-z direction downward.

Further, the process cartridge 100 further includes a separation mechanism 6, in a state in which the process cartridge 100 is mounted to the image forming apparatus, when the image forming apparatus does not need to perform a developing operation (the process cartridge 100 does not operate), in order to prevent contamination of the surface of the photosensitive member 21 by the developer carried by the developing member 11 and/or deformation of the developing member 11 by pressing of the photosensitive member 21 due to the long-term mutual approach of the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21, a force application mechanism in the image forming apparatus applies a separation force to the separation mechanism 6, thereby forcing the first cartridge body 10 and the second cartridge body 20 to move relatively, specifically, the first cartridge body 20 and the second cartridge body 20 to rotate relatively, so that the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 can be separated from each other; when the image forming apparatus needs to perform the developing operation again (the process cartridge 100 is operated), the urging mechanism no longer applies the separating force to the separating mechanism 6, the first cartridge 10 and the second cartridge 20 move again relatively, and the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 come closer to each other again.

It is possible to realize that the separation mechanism 6 may be provided at any position of the process cartridge 100 according to design requirements as long as the relative movement of the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 can be realized. The end cap 4 may be provided as a separate component or may be provided integrally with the first case 10 or the second case 20, and thus the end cap 4 may also be regarded as a part of the first unit 1 or the second unit 2; further, the first casing 10, the second casing 20, and the end cap 4 may be collectively referred to as a housing of the process cartridge 100, the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21 may be collectively referred to as a rotating member, and further, other rotatable members in the process cartridge 100 (e.g., a stirring member provided in the first casing 10, a charging member provided in the second casing 20, etc.) may also be regarded as rotating members rotatably provided in the housing.

Further, the process cartridge 100 further includes a chip assembly CA detachably mounted on the housing, the chip assembly CA including the chip 9 and a chip holder 8 for supporting the chip 9, wherein at least the chip holder 8 is provided to be detachable with respect to the housing, so that a user can conveniently take out the chip assembly CA from the housing to upgrade the chip 9 or directly replace the chip assembly CA.

In some embodiments, the chip 9 may also be detachable with respect to the chip rack 8, on the one hand, when the chip rack 8 is more easily removed from the housing than when the chip rack 8 is removed from the chip rack 8, the user may remove the chip rack 8 first and then remove the chip 9 from the chip rack 8, and the removal manner of the chip 9 may be by means of a tool, or may be directly pulled out or scratched out by hand, so that the user may have more manners and larger operation space to remove the chip 9; on the other hand, the user can replace only the chip 9, while the usable chip carrier 8 can continue to be used.

In some embodiments, the process cartridge 100 further includes an error preventing device 7 provided on the casing, the error preventing device 7 being configured to cooperate with a corresponding portion in the image forming apparatus to prevent a user from mounting the process cartridge 100 to an erroneous position, for example, the user can put the positions of the driving end F and the non-driving end E in reverse, especially in a color image forming apparatus in which a plurality of process cartridges are required to be mounted simultaneously, each of which contains a different color of developer, a plurality of process cartridge accommodating chambers are also provided in the image forming apparatus, each of which can accommodate a process cartridge having a corresponding color of developer, and the error preventing device 7 can also ensure that the user mounts the process cartridge into the correct process cartridge accommodating chamber.

As shown in fig. 1C, when the process cartridge 100 is mounted to a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus, the separation mechanism 6 is located below the process cartridge 100, the chip assembly CA is located above the process cartridge 100, or in other words, in the z direction, the first rotation axis L1 is located in the +z direction (above) of the second rotation axis L2, at least a portion of the separation mechanism 6 is located in the-z direction (below) of the second rotation axis L2, and at least a portion of the chip assembly CA is located in the +z direction (above) of the first rotation axis L1, and this provides one of the advantages that can be brought about by reducing the influence of vibrations to which the chip assembly CA is subjected when the separation mechanism 6 separates the developing member 11 and the photosensitive member 21, thereby improving the contact stability of the chip 9 with the stylus.

In the z-direction, at least a part of the chip assembly CA is opposite to at least a part of the second driving force receiver 32, preferably, the chip assembly CA is opposite to the second rotation axis L2, but the chip assembly CA is arranged offset from the first driving force receiver 31 in the y-direction, at least a part of the separation mechanism 6 is opposite to at least a part of the first driving force receiver 31, preferably, the separation mechanism 6 is opposite to the first rotation axis L1, but the separation mechanism 6 is arranged offset from the second driving force receiver 32 in the y-direction; further, when the chip assembly CA, the first rotation axis L1, the second rotation axis L2, and the separation mechanism 6 are projected in the y-direction to a projection plane parallel to the z-direction, the first rotation axis L1 is located between the chip assembly CA and the second rotation axis L2 in the z-direction, the second rotation axis L2 is located between the first rotation axis L1 and the separation mechanism 6, and the chip assembly CA, the first rotation axis L1, the second rotation axis L2, and the separation mechanism 6 are arranged in this order in the +z-to-z direction, but in the z-direction, the chip assembly CA is not opposed to the first rotation axis L1, and the separation mechanism 6 is not opposed to the second rotation axis L2.

As is clear from the above description, the first rotation axis L1 and the second rotation axis L2 are arranged offset in both the z direction and the y direction; along the z direction, one of the first rotation axis L1 and the second rotation axis L2, which is closer to the chip assembly CA, is arranged in a staggered manner with respect to the chip assembly CA in the y direction, and the other is opposite to the chip assembly CA in the z direction; by such an arrangement that one of the first rotation axis L1 and the second rotation axis L2, which is closer to the separation mechanism 6, is arranged offset from the separation mechanism 6 in the y-direction and the other is opposite to the separation mechanism 6 in the z-direction, the interaction between the separation mechanism 6, the first driving force receiving member 31, and the second driving force receiving member 32 can be effectively reduced when the separation mechanism 6 moves upon receiving the separation force from the image forming apparatus and the first driving force receiving member 31 and the second driving force receiving member 32 rotate upon receiving the driving force from the image forming apparatus, and at the same time, the influence of the moving separation mechanism 6, the rotating first driving force receiving member 31, and the second driving force receiving member 32 on the chip assembly CA can be effectively reduced.

In some embodiments, to effectively protect the separating mechanism 6, the process cartridge 100 further includes a shielding member (not shown) provided on the end cap 4, the separating mechanism 6 having a separating force receiving surface for receiving the separating force, the shielding member being located in a +x direction/-x direction of the separating force receiving surface in the x direction, that is, the shielding member is located farther from the first cartridge body 10 or the second cartridge body 20 than the separating mechanism 6 in the x direction, so that the shielding member protects the separating mechanism 6 outside the separating mechanism 6; when the process cartridge is mounted to a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus, it is preferable that the lower end of the separating force receiving surface is not lower than the lower end of the shutter in the z direction, and when the process cartridge 100 is placed on the tabletop in the posture shown in fig. 1C, the contact timing of the lower end of the shutter with the tabletop is not later than the contact timing of the separating force receiving surface with the tabletop, so that the separating mechanism 6 can be protected.

The chip assembly to which the present utility model relates is described below.

Example 1

As shown in fig. 2, the chip 9 includes a substrate 91, and an electrical contact 92 and a storage 93 (as shown in fig. 5) provided on the substrate 91, the electrical contact 92 is used for electrical contact with a contact pin in an image forming apparatus, each item of information of the process cartridge 100 is stored in the storage 93, the storage 93 is electrically connected with the electrical contact 92, the storage 93 may be provided on the same side of the substrate 91 as the electrical contact 92 or on both sides of the substrate 91, and generally, the storage 93 protrudes from the surface of the substrate 91, and fig. 2 shows a structure in which the storage 93 and the electrical contact 92 are provided on both sides of the substrate 91, respectively, which is advantageous in preventing the storage 93 from interfering with the contact pin or the storage 93 interfering with other components in the image forming apparatus, thereby affecting the contact stability of the electrical contact 92 with the contact pin.

In some embodiments, the storage portion 93 may be further separated from the substrate 91, and the electrical contact portion 92 is connected to the storage portion 93 through a conductor, which can reduce the design difficulty of the support portion 82 described below, thereby improving the design freedom of the chip carrier 8.

Specifically, the storage portion 93 and the electrical contact portion 92 are located on both sides in the thickness direction of the substrate 91, respectively, and preferably, the storage portion 93 and the electrical contact portion 92 are arranged offset in the thickness direction (z direction) of the substrate 91. The substrate 91 includes a first substrate 91a and a second substrate 91b in a direction intersecting the thickness direction, wherein the electric contact 92 is provided on the first substrate 91a, the storage 93 is provided on the second substrate 91b, and in the thickness direction of the substrate 91, a part of a surface of a side of the substrate 91 on which the electric contact 92 is not provided will form an adhesive bearing part, another part of which will form a storage bearing part for providing the storage 93, wherein the adhesive bearing part is arranged opposite to the electric contact 92 in the z direction.

The chip frame 8 includes a main body portion 81 and a chip supporting portion (simply referred to as "supporting portion") 82 connected to the main body portion 81, the main body portion 81 being configured to be capable of being mated with the process cartridge case such that the chip frame 8 is supported by the process cartridge case; the housing is provided with a receiving portion 43 for receiving the chip carrier 8, and the main body portion 81 and the receiving portion 43 may be completely or only partially matched as long as the chip carrier 8 can be supported by the housing; in the present embodiment, the support portion 82 is formed to protrude from one surface (end surface) 811 of the main body portion 81 facing in the +z direction toward the +z direction, and thus at least one step portion (escape space) 85 is to be formed between the support portion 82 and the main body portion 81; the +z-direction end of the support portion 82 is to form a support surface 821 for supporting the chip 9, preferably, the support surface 821 is formed in a plane, that is, a surface 821 of the support portion 82 for supporting the chip 9 is a plane, which surface 821 communicates with the step portion 85 without obstruction in all directions intersecting the thickness direction of the substrate 91.

When the chip 9 needs to be mounted, the adhesive is coated on the adhesive bearing part firstly, and then the adhesive bearing part is attached to the supporting surface 821, so that the chip 9 is adhered to the supporting surface 821, alternatively, the adhesive can be coated on the supporting surface 821 firstly, or the adhesive is coated on the supporting surface 821 and the adhesive bearing part simultaneously, and finally, the chip 9 and the chip frame 8 are combined with each other through the adhesive; as shown in fig. 3, the adhesive bearing portion is opposed to the supporting surface 821 and the storage portion 93 is opposed to the step portion 85 in the thickness direction of the substrate 91, so that the chip 9 is stably supported by the chip frame 8.

Preferably, the adhesive bearing part is also formed in a plane, so that the area of the adhesive bearing part and the area of the supporting surface 821 should not be limited, that is, the adhesive bearing part may be disposed to exactly fit the shape of the supporting surface 821, may be disposed beyond the contour line of the supporting surface 821, or may be located within the contour line of the supporting surface 821, as long as the adhesive bearing part and the supporting surface 821 can be adhered together by the adhesive; the storage portion 93 is accommodated by the step portion 85, and finally, the chip 9 can be bonded to the support surface 821 without inclination, and the adhesive bearing portion and the support surface 821 form good surface contact.

The adhesive may be a solid adhesive such as a double-sided adhesive, a foam adhesive, a hot melt adhesive, or a fluid adhesive such as glue, etc., which is in a flowable state in a sealed state, and the fluid adhesive is preferred in this embodiment because the coating/adhering steps of the solid adhesive are more, the coating/adhering position accuracy of the adhesive is higher, otherwise, a stable bond cannot be formed between the adhesive bearing portion and the supporting surface 821, and the solid adhesive is susceptible to change due to the influence of the external environment, thereby affecting the bonding state between the adhesive bearing portion and the supporting surface 821.

Therefore, the chip assembly CA adopting the technical scheme can at least have the following beneficial effects:

1. as long as the fluid adhesive is applied to the adhesive bearing portion, as the adhesive bearing portion and the supporting surface 821 approach each other gradually, the fluid adhesive will flow between the adhesive bearing portion and the supporting surface 821 to form uniform distribution therebetween gradually, and finally, the adhesive bearing portion and the supporting surface 821 form stable bonding, and the fluid adhesive is less affected by the external environment.

In contrast, in the case of the solution employing the solid adhesive, once the solid adhesive is excessively applied, or the position of attachment is not sufficiently accurate, even if the pressing between the adhesive bearing portion and the support surface 821 forces the solid adhesive to overflow out of the area of the adhesive bearing portion opposite to the support surface 821, the solid adhesive does not enter the stepped portion 85, but may reach the storage portion 93, thereby causing the storage portion 93 to be contaminated.

In addition, in the case of the conventional solid adhesive, there is a high possibility that the adhesive coating is not uniform, resulting in failure of the adhesive bearing portion to form a stable bond with the support surface 821, and also resulting in the chip 9 being mounted in a state of being inclined with respect to the support surface 821.

2. When the support surface 821 communicates with the step portion 85 without obstruction, even if an excessive amount of fluid adhesive flows out from between the adhesive bearing portion and the support surface 821, the flowing fluid adhesive flows from the edge of the support surface 821 to the step portion 85, and the fluid adhesive does not overflow to the electrical contact portion 92 or the storage portion 93, resulting in the chip 9 being damaged.

3. When the support surface 821 communicates with the step portion 85 without hindrance, the chip carrier 8 can be combined with chips 9 of various sizes to become versatile since the storage portion 93 can be accommodated by the step portion 85.

4. When the supporting surface 821 communicates with the step portion 85 without hindrance, the mounting direction of the chip 9 is not limited any more, and at this time, the chip 9 may be mounted either in a direction parallel to the supporting surface 821 or in a direction intersecting the supporting surface 821, that is, the chip 9 has a greater degree of freedom of mounting.

5. The die 9 is secured by snap-fit with respect to the die 9, and when the support surface 821 is in unobstructed communication with the step 85 and fluid adhesive is employed, the die 9 may be more easily removed, for example, by a user removing the die 9 as a whole from the support surface 821 by grasping the second substrate 91b, or by a user "cutting" the die 9 from the support surface 821 by inserting a sheet-like tool such as a blade between the adhesive carrier and the support surface 821.

In addition, the chip carrier 8 further includes a coupling portion 83 coupled to the main body portion 81 or the support portion 82, and the chip carrier 8 is detachably coupled to the housing through the coupling portion 83; in the main body portion 81, the members other than the support portion 82 and the coupling portion 83 may also be regarded as the handle portion 84 of the chip carrier 8, so that the user can operate the chip carrier 8/chip assembly CA by grasping the handle portion 84.

In this embodiment, the joint portion 83 extends along the direction parallel to the supporting surface 821, which is beneficial to reducing the overall space of the chip rack 8, thereby realizing miniaturization of the chip rack 8; meanwhile, the parts which can be combined with the chip frame 8 are more in the shell, and the volume which can be combined with the chip frame 8 is larger, so that the chip frame 8 and the shell can be stably combined.

As described above, when the chip 9 needs to be upgraded, the user can detach the chip rack 8 from the housing, then directly upgrade the chip 9 located on the chip rack 8 by using the upgrade device, or take the chip 9 out of the chip rack 8 and then upgrade the chip 9, and also directly replace a new chip assembly CA, where the chip in the new chip assembly CA has been upgraded in advance, and finally mount the original chip rack 8 or the new chip assembly CA to the housing in a detachable manner.

As shown in fig. 1D, in the modification of the present embodiment, the structure of the chip assembly CA is not limited, but a portion of at least one of the first exposure hole 41 and the second exposure hole 42 in the end cap 4 is cut away so that the end cap 4 more conveniently combines the first unit 1 and the second unit 2, whereby it is understood that the first exposure hole 41 and the second exposure hole 42 do not have to be closed when viewed in the x-direction, for example, the first exposure hole 41 and the second exposure hole 42 do not have to be formed in a circular, oval, regular, or irregular polygonal shape, or the like.

As shown in fig. 1A, the process cartridge 100 further includes a protective cover 33 covering the first driving force receiver 31 in the circumferential direction, the protective cover 33 being fixedly coupled to the first unit case 10, the first driving force receiver 31 being exposed from the protective cover 33 in the x-direction, an exposing portion 44 being formed in the end cover 4 after a portion of the first exposing hole 41 is cut away, the exposing portion 44 being in communication with the first exposing hole 41 in a direction perpendicular to the x-direction, a portion of a circumferential surface of the protective cover 33 covering the first driving force receiver 31 being exposed from the exposing portion 44 in a direction perpendicular to the x-direction; in a deformable manner, the exposure portion 44 may also communicate with the second exposure hole 42 in a direction perpendicular to the x-direction, at which time a portion of the circumferential surface of the second driving force receiving member 32 will be exposed through the exposure portion 44 in a direction perpendicular to the x-direction.

When the diameters of the first exposure hole 41 and the second exposure hole 42 are different, the inner diameters of the first exposure hole 41 and the second exposure hole 42 may also be set to be the same in order to enhance the assembly efficiency of the process cartridge 100, and at the same time, the first driving force receiving member 31 and the second driving force receiving member 32 do not have to be differentiated in size, and a factory only needs to prepare one driving force receiving member.

Example two

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of a chip assembly according to a second embodiment of the present utility model after separation of a chip carrier from a chip.

Unlike the first embodiment, the chip carrier 8 of the present embodiment further includes at least one side wall 87 extending from the supporting portion 82 and a limiting protrusion 89 provided on the side wall 87, the limiting protrusion 89 being opposite to the supporting surface 821 in the z-direction, a clamping groove 86 being formed therebetween, the chip 9 being mounted toward the chip carrier 8 in a direction parallel to the supporting surface 821, at least a portion of the first substrate 91a being allowed to enter the clamping groove 86, and thus the first substrate 91a being limited in the z-direction.

One side wall forms a restriction portion that restricts the escape of the chip 9 at the downstream end of the support surface 821 in the mounting direction of the chip 9 toward the chip holder 8. In the case where the chip 9 is bonded to the chip carrier 8 by using a fluid adhesive, since the chip 9 is already adhered to the supporting surface 821 by the adhesive, the clamping groove 86 and the limiting portion 87 are not necessary, but at least one side wall 87 is provided in a direction parallel to the mounting direction of the chip 9, which is advantageous in guiding the mounting of the chip 9 and ensuring that the chip 9 reaches a predetermined mounting position.

Example III

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a chip assembly with a chip carrier separated from a chip according to a third embodiment of the present utility model; fig. 6 is a perspective view of a chip assembly according to a third embodiment of the present utility model.

Unlike the above-described embodiment in which the bonding portion 83 is provided so as to extend in a direction intersecting the support surface 821, preferably, the extending direction of the bonding portion 83 is perpendicular to the extending direction of the support surface 821, the structural design can prevent the chip 9 and the bonded portion 83 from scraping against each other during the mounting of the chip 9 to reduce the mounting efficiency of the chip 9 and prevent the chip 9 from being worn.

Example IV

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of a chip assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the present utility model after separation of a chip carrier from a chip.

On the basis of the third embodiment, the supporting portion 82 in this embodiment is divided into a first supporting portion 82a and a second supporting portion 82b that are spaced apart from each other, the first supporting portion 82a and the second supporting portion 82b are arranged at intervals along the y direction, a communicating portion 82c is formed therebetween, the step portion 85 is located in the-z direction of the supporting portion 82, and the communicating portion 82c is also communicated with the step portion 85.

In the structure of the chip rack 8 according to the present embodiment, the step portion 85 is provided opposite to the support portion 82 in the z-direction, and the size of the chip rack 8 as a whole in at least one of the x-direction and the y-direction can be reduced, and thus, the overall size of the process cartridge 100 can also be reduced; meanwhile, the communication portion 82c is provided so that even if there is an excessive adhesive between the adhesive bearing portion and the support surface 821, the adhesive can enter the stepped portion 85 through the communication portion 82 c.

Example five

FIG. 8A is an exploded view of a chip assembly of a fifth embodiment of the present utility model shown separated from a cartridge housing; fig. 8B is a perspective view of a chip assembly according to a fifth embodiment of the present utility model; fig. 9 is a perspective view of a chip assembly according to a fifth embodiment of the present utility model after being mounted to a process cartridge housing.

The chip carrier 8 in this embodiment is further downsized, and as shown in fig. 8A and 8B, the supporting portion 82 is formed recessed toward the-z direction from one surface (end surface) 811 of the main body portion 81 facing the +z direction, so that a part of the main body portion 81 will form the side wall 87 around the supporting surface 821.

Preferably, a step 85 is provided adjacent to the support surface 821, the step 85 being further away from the surface 811 than the support surface 821 in the z-direction.

The chip carrier 8 further includes a locking portion 89 extending from the main body portion 81 toward the +z direction, the locking portion 89 includes an extending portion 891 connected to the main body portion 81 and an abutting portion 892 provided on the extending portion 891, the chip 9 is mounted to the support surface 821 by pressing the abutting portion 892 such that the extending portion 891 is deformed, and then the extending portion 891 is reset, and the abutting portion 892 restricts the chip 9 in the +z direction of the chip 9.

The snap 89 in this embodiment also serves to couple the chip carrier 8 to the housing, and thus, the snap 89 can also be considered as a coupling 83 of the chip carrier 8 in this embodiment, as will be described in detail below.

As shown in fig. 8A and 9, the accommodating portion 43 is a cavity formed on the case, and includes a side plate 431 extending from the case and a blocking portion 432 extending from the side plate 431, in particular, the side plate 431 is provided in plural extending from the case toward the +z direction, the side plates 431 enclose a chip rack accommodating cavity 433 opening toward the +z direction and the +x direction, the chip rack accommodating cavity 433 is located between two side plates (first side plates) 431a oppositely arranged in the y direction, the blocking portion 432 is formed extending from the first side plate 431a toward the y direction, and preferably, a blocking portion 432 is formed on both the first side plates 431a in an extending manner, so that the two blocking portions 432 are also oppositely arranged in the y direction, but the two blocking portions 432 are not connected, so that each blocking portion 432 is cantilevered to have elasticity, and a gap 434 formed by the two blocking portions 432 in the y direction is smaller than a size of the clip position 89 for passing through the gap 434 in the y direction.

The plurality of side plates 431 further includes a second side plate 431b located between the two first side plates 431a, the chip rack 8 is mounted toward the chip rack accommodating chamber 433 in the-x direction, the second side plate 431b is located downstream of the blocking portions 432 in the mounting direction of the chip rack 8, the buckling portions 89 press the two blocking portions 432 after the main body portion 81 enters the chip rack accommodating chamber 433 during the mounting of the chip rack 8, the buckling portions 89 reach between the second side plate 431b and the blocking portions 432 by forcing elastic deformation of the two blocking portions 432, then the two blocking portions 432 are reset, the buckling portions 89 are limited between the second side plate 431b and the two blocking portions 432, the chip rack 8 is combined with the case, and at the same time, the two blocking portions 432 block the chip rack 8 from being separated from the case in the +z direction of the chip rack 8.

In one possible modification, the blocking portions 432 may also be disposed to extend from the first side plate 431a toward the y direction, but the two blocking portions are not disposed opposite to each other in the y direction, but are disposed in a staggered manner in the z direction, that is, one blocking portion is located in the +z direction or the-z direction of the other blocking portion, where the two blocking portions may or may not overlap partially in the z direction, and when the two blocking portions are projected along the z direction, the projections of the two blocking portions may be spaced from each other in the y direction, may just contact each other, or may also overlap partially.

In another possible variant, the two blocking portions 432 can be simplified to one blocking portion, i.e. only one cantilever-shaped blocking portion 432 needs to be provided in the receiving portion 43, and the one blocking portion 432 can also serve the purpose of preventing the chip carrier 8 from being separated from the housing in a direction opposite to the mounting direction (-x direction) and blocking the chip carrier 8 from being separated from the housing in the +z direction of the chip carrier 8.

Preferably, in the mounting direction of the chip carrier 8, the minimum distance between the blocking portion 432 and the second side plate 431b is substantially equivalent to the maximum distance between two portions of the clip 89 that are in contact with the blocking portion 432 and the second side plate 431b, respectively, in the x-direction, so that the clip 89 can be stably positioned between the blocking portion 432 and the second side plate 431b, and finally, the chip carrier 8 is stably positioned in the x-direction.

Also, when the chip 9 needs to be upgraded, the user pulls the chip holder 8 in the +x direction, and after overcoming the elastic force of the blocking portion 432, the chip holder 8 is disengaged from the housing, and then, the user can directly upgrade the chip 9, or replace only the chip 9, or directly replace the entire chip assembly CA according to the actual situation.

In the chip assembly CA according to the present embodiment, the chip 9 may be restricted to the supporting portion 82 by the abutting portion 892 of the fastened portion 89, or the chip 9 may be fixed to the supporting portion 82 by applying an adhesive to the adhesive bearing portion.

As in the previous embodiment, when the adhesive bearing portion of the die 9 is carried as a fluid adhesive, the side wall 87 and abutment 892 will become unnecessary.

In summary, the chip assembly CA according to the present utility model is detachably combined with the process cartridge case, so that when the chip 9 in the chip assembly CA needs to be upgraded, the user only needs to take the chip assembly CA out of the case and then directly upgrade the chip 9, or take the chip 9 off the chip holder 8 of the chip assembly to upgrade, or directly replace the chip assembly CA with the upgraded chip, and other components of the process cartridge 100 can be used continuously.

Claims (10)

1. A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus provided with a stylus, the process cartridge including a housing and a chip assembly coupled to the housing, characterized in that,

the chip assembly comprises a chip and a chip frame for supporting the chip, and the chip frame are combined through an adhesive;

the chip carrier is detachably coupled to the housing, and the chip is configured to be in electrical contact with the contact pins such that the process cartridge establishes a communication connection with the image forming apparatus.

2. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the chip frame includes a main body portion and a supporting portion protruding from the main body portion, a step portion is formed between the supporting portion and the main body portion, and the supporting portion forms a supporting surface for supporting the chip, the supporting surface being in unobstructed communication with the step portion in a direction intersecting a thickness direction of the substrate.

3. A process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the supporting surface is a plane formed at a +z direction end of the supporting portion, and a surface of the chip for being opposed to the supporting surface is a plane.

4. A process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the chip includes a substrate and electrical contacts provided on the substrate, and an adhesive bearing portion is formed on a surface of the substrate on the side where the electrical contacts are not provided, in a thickness direction of the substrate, the adhesive bearing portion being for facing the supporting surface.

5. The process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the chip further comprises a storage portion electrically connected to the electric contact portion, the storage portion being arranged offset from the electric contact portion in a thickness direction of the substrate.

6. The process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the chip further comprises a storage portion electrically connected to the electric contact portion, the substrate including a first substrate and a second substrate in a direction intersecting a thickness direction of the substrate, wherein the electric contact portion is provided on the first substrate, and the storage portion is provided on the second substrate.

7. A process cartridge according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the process cartridge comprises a first unit, a second unit, an end cap, and a separation mechanism, the first unit and the second unit being rotatably coupled through the end cap;

the first unit comprises a first unit box body and a developing part rotatably arranged in the first unit box body, and the second unit comprises a second unit box body and a photosensitive part rotatably arranged in the second unit box body;

the shell comprises a first unit box body, a second unit box body and an end cover;

the separating mechanism is used for receiving separating force from the imaging device and forcing the developing member and the photosensitive member to separate from each other;

when the process cartridge is mounted to a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus, the separation mechanism and the chip assembly are located below and above the process cartridge, respectively.

8. A process cartridge according to any one of claims 1-6, further comprising error preventing means provided on the casing for cooperating with corresponding portions in the image forming apparatus to prevent a user from mounting the process cartridge to an erroneous position.

9. The process cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a first driving force receiving member and a second driving force receiving member, and a developing member and a photosensitive member rotatably provided in the casing, the first driving force receiving member and the second driving force receiving member being exposed through a first exposure hole and a second exposure hole provided in the end cover, respectively, in an x direction of the process cartridge;

wherein the first driving force receiving member is configured to receive driving force from the image forming apparatus to drive the developing member to rotate, and the second driving force receiving member is configured to receive driving force from the image forming apparatus to drive the photosensitive member to rotate;

the end cap is further formed with an exposed portion, and at least one of the first and second exposed holes communicates with the exposed portion in a direction perpendicular to the x-direction.

10. A process cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the process cartridge further comprises a shutter provided on the end cap, the separating mechanism has a separating force receiving surface for receiving the separating force, and the shutter is further away from the first cartridge body or the second cartridge body than the separating mechanism in the x direction, and a lower end of the separating force receiving surface is not lower than a lower end of the shutter when the process cartridge is mounted to a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus.