WO2021117709A1

WO2021117709A1 - Image forming device

Info

Publication number: WO2021117709A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/045637
Authority: WO
Inventors: 嘉之辻本
Original assignee: ブラザー工業株式会社
Priority date: 2019-12-10
Filing date: 2020-12-08
Publication date: 2021-06-17
Also published as: JP2021092647A; JP7367502B2

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology to simplify the electrical configuration of an image forming device. An image forming device 1 comprises: a main body housing 10 having a control unit 80; a drum cartridge 20 having a drum memory 22 and a drum substrate 23; a toner cartridge 30 having a toner memory 32 and a toner substrate 37; and a communication line 41 connected to the control unit 80. The communication line 41 has a first communication line 411 that electrically connects the control unit 80 and the toner memory 32 in a state where the drum cartridge 20 and the toner cartridge 30 are mounted to the main body housing 10, and a second communication line 412 that diverges from the first communication line 411 and is electrically connected to the drum memory 22.

Description

Image forming device

This disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus.

Conventionally, electrophotographic image forming devices such as laser printers and LED printers are known. Further, in the image forming apparatus, a process cartridge having a toner cartridge and a drum cartridge may be used. A conventional image forming apparatus of this type is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

Patent Document 1 describes a cartridge that is mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus and can be divided into a developing unit and a photoconductor unit. Each of the developing unit and the photosensitive unit is equipped with a CSIC that stores information about the unit such as usage history, type, manufacturing location, and destination. The CSIC of the developing unit is connected to the control unit of the apparatus main body by being connected to the connection terminal of the apparatus main body. Further, the CSIC of the photoconductor unit is connected to the connection terminal of the apparatus main body via the first connection terminal, the wiring, and the second connection terminal provided on the outer surface of the developing unit, thereby connecting to the control unit of the apparatus main body. Be connected.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-085977

In the case of the above-mentioned prior art, the configuration for electrically connecting the control unit and the CSIC of the photoconductor unit is provided independently of the configuration for electrically connecting the control unit and the CSIC of the developing unit. For this reason, the electrical configuration has become complicated.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for simplifying an electrical configuration in an image forming apparatus.

The first aspect is an image forming apparatus, which is a main body housing having a control unit and a drum cartridge mounted on the main body housing, to which a photoconductor drum, a drum memory, and the drum memory are attached. A drum cartridge having a drum substrate, a toner cartridge to be mounted on the drum cartridge, a toner memory, a toner substrate to which the toner memory is attached, and the control unit are electrically connected to the toner cartridge. A first communication line that electrically connects the control unit and the toner memory in a state where the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing, and the first communication line, which is a connected communication line. It includes a second communication line that branches off from one communication line and is electrically connected to the drum memory, and a communication line that includes the communication line.

The second aspect is the image forming apparatus of the first aspect, and the toner cartridge has a developing roller.

A third aspect is the image forming apparatus of the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the drum memory is assigned a first device address, and the toner memory is a second device address different from the first device address. Is assigned.

A fourth aspect is the image forming apparatus of the third aspect, wherein the drum memory has a first address terminal, the toner memory has a second address terminal, and the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge have a second address terminal. When mounted on the main body housing, a high level or a low level for setting a device address is input to the first and second address terminals.

A fifth aspect is the image forming apparatus of the fourth aspect, in which the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing, and the first address terminal has a high level or a low level. A first level, which is either, is input, and a second level different from the first level, which is a high level or a low level, is input to the second address terminal.

A sixth aspect is the image forming apparatus of the fifth aspect, further comprising a power supply line for supplying power to the toner memory and the drum memory, and a ground for inputting a low level. The second address terminal is connected to the power supply line via a resistor, and one of the first and second address terminals is in a state where the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing. , Connected to the ground.

The seventh aspect is the image forming apparatus of the sixth aspect, in which the ground is provided in the main body housing.

An eighth aspect is the image forming apparatus of the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein the drum substrate has an external connection electrode connected to the first address terminal, and the external connection electrode is The drum cartridge is connected to the ground in a state of being mounted on the main body housing.

A ninth aspect is the image forming apparatus of the eighth aspect, wherein the outer surface of the drum substrate has a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface. The first main surface is provided with an electrical contact surface that is electrically connected to the control unit when the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing, and the second main surface is provided. Is provided with the external connection electrode.

A tenth aspect is the image forming apparatus of the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein the toner substrate has an external connection electrode connected to the second address terminal, and the external connection electrode is The drum cartridge is connected to the ground in a state of being mounted on the main body housing.

The eleventh aspect is the image forming apparatus of the tenth aspect, wherein the outer surface of the toner substrate has a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface. The first main surface is provided with an electrical contact surface that is electrically connected to the control unit when the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing, and the second main surface is provided with an electrical contact surface. Is provided with the external connection electrode.

A twelfth aspect is an image forming apparatus according to any one of the eighth to eleventh aspects, wherein the toner memory and the drum memory are the same, and the toner substrate and the drum substrate are the same. It is a thing.

The thirteenth aspect is the image forming apparatus of the fourth aspect, which is a power supply line electrically connected to the control unit, in a state where the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing. A power supply line including a first power supply line that electrically connects the control unit and the toner memory, and a second power supply line that branches off from the first power supply line and is electrically connected to the drum memory. A ground wire electrically connected to the control unit, and the control unit and the toner memory are electrically connected in a state where the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing. A ground wire including a first ground wire, a second ground wire branched from the first ground wire and electrically connected to the drum memory, and a ground wire including the first ground wire, among the first and second address terminals. , One is connected to the power line and the other is connected to the ground line.

According to the image forming apparatus of the first aspect, the control unit can communicate with the drum memory and the toner memory via the common first communication line. Further, the control unit can selectively communicate with the drum memory and the toner memory by transmitting different commands to the drum memory and the toner memory. Therefore, the number of communication lines can be reduced as compared with the case where the control unit and the toner memory and the control unit and the drum memory are each connected by a dedicated communication line. This makes it possible to simplify the electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus.

According to the image forming apparatus of the third aspect, the control unit can selectively communicate with either the drum memory or the toner memory by selectively transmitting the first or second device address.

According to the image forming apparatus of the fourth aspect, each device address can be set by setting the input of the first address terminal of the drum memory and the second address terminal of the toner memory to a high level or a low level. As a result, the control unit can selectively communicate with either the drum memory or the toner memory by selectively transmitting the first or second device address without implementing a plurality of access commands by software. ..

According to the image forming apparatus of the fifth aspect, the device addresses of the drum memory and the toner memory can be made different by making the input levels for the first and second address terminals different.

According to the image forming apparatus of the sixth aspect, although the first and second address terminals are connected to the power supply line, when the toner cartridge and the drum cartridge are mounted on the main body housing, the first and second address terminals are connected. One is connected to ground. This makes it possible to switch the input to one side from high level to low level. As a result, the device addresses of the toner cartridge and the drum cartridge can be made different.

According to the image forming apparatus of the seventh aspect, the ground can be taken from the main body housing.

According to the image forming apparatus of the eighth aspect, the first address terminal of the drum memory can be connected to the ground via the external connection electrode provided on the drum substrate. As a result, a low level can be input to the first address terminal.

According to the image forming apparatus of the ninth aspect, since the external connection electrode is provided on the second main surface opposite to the first main surface on which the electrical contact surface is provided, the outer surface of the drum substrate is effectively used. can do.

According to the image forming apparatus of the tenth aspect, the second address terminal of the toner memory can be connected to the ground via the external connection electrode provided on the toner substrate. As a result, a low level can be input to the second address terminal.

According to the image forming apparatus of the eleventh aspect, since the external connection electrode is provided on the second main surface opposite to the first main surface on which the electrical contact surface is provided, the outer surface of the toner substrate is effectively used. can do.

According to the image forming apparatus of the twelfth aspect, the memory and the substrate attached to the toner cartridge and the drum cartridge can be the same, so that the apparatus cost can be suppressed.

According to the image forming apparatus of the thirteenth aspect, a high level can be input to the address terminal by connecting the address terminal to the power supply line. Further, by connecting the address terminal to the ground wire, a low level can be input to the address terminal. As a result, the device addresses of the toner memory and the drum memory can be made different.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the image forming apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a side view which shows one side in the 1st direction of the drum cartridge in which a toner cartridge is mounted. It is a perspective view of a drum cartridge. It is a perspective view which shows the back side of the toner cartridge. It is a perspective view which shows the front side of the toner cartridge. It is a side view which shows one side of the toner cartridge in the 1st direction. It is a perspective view which shows the toner cartridge in the state which the IC chip assembly is disassembled. It is an exploded perspective view which shows the IC chip assembly. It is a block diagram which shows typically the electrical connection of a control part, a drum memory, and a toner memory. It is a block diagram which shows typically the electrical connection of the control part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, a drum memory, and a toner memory.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the components described in this embodiment are merely examples, and the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to them. In the drawings, the dimensions and numbers of each part may be simplified and shown as necessary for easy understanding.

In the following description, the direction in which the rotation center axis (development axis) of the developing roller of the toner cartridge extends is referred to as the "first direction". Further, the direction that intersects with, preferably orthogonal to, the electrical contact surface of the toner memory is defined as the "second direction". Further, the direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction is referred to as a "third direction".

<1. First Embodiment>
<1-1. Configuration of image forming apparatus 1>
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is an electrophotographic color printer. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a main body housing 10, a cover 11, four drum cartridges 20, four toner cartridges 30, four light source units (not shown), a transfer belt 70, a control unit 80, and a main body side electrical contact described later. It has 90.

The main body housing 10 has a rectangular box shape. The four drum cartridges 20, the four toner cartridges 30, the transfer belt 70, the control unit 80, and the main body side electrical contacts 90 are housed in the main body housing 10. The main body housing 10 has four cartridge holding portions 13. Each cartridge holding portion 13 has an opening.

The cover 11 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 11a extending in the first direction between the open position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 and the closed position shown by the alternate long and short dash line. When the cover 11 is placed in the open position, the four openings of the four cartridge holders 13 are opened. When the cover 11 is placed in the closed position, the four openings of the four cartridge holders 13 are covered by the cover 11.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing one side of the drum cartridge 20 in which the toner cartridge 30 is mounted in the first direction. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drum cartridge 20.
The drum cartridge 20 can be attached to and detached from the cartridge holding portion 13 with the toner cartridge 30 attached. In other words, the drum cartridge 20 to which the toner cartridge 30 is mounted can be attached to and detached from the cartridge holding portion 13 as a process cartridge.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drum cartridge 20 has a photoconductor drum 21. The photoconductor drum 21 is a cylindrical member extending in the first direction. The photoconductor drum 21 is rotatable about a drum shaft extending in the first direction. The outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 21 is covered with a photosensitive material. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the drum cartridge 20 has a drum memory 22. The drum memory 22 is a memory capable of reading or writing information at least. The drum memory 22 is, for example, a flash ROM or an EEPROM.

The drum memory 22 stores information about the drum cartridge 20 to which the drum memory 22 is attached. Specifically, the drum memory 22 stores drum identification information and drum life information. The drum identification information is a serial number that can identify each drum cartridge 20. The drum life information is, for example, the cumulative number of rotations of the photoconductor drum 21 and the cumulative number of prints using the photoconductor drum 21. The cumulative rotation speed of the photoconductor drum 21 is a rotation speed calculated by incrementing or decrementing each printing (job) in the drum cartridge 20 specified by the drum identification information. The cumulative number of prints using the photoconductor drum 21 is the number of prints calculated by incrementing or decrementing each printing (job) in the drum cartridge 20 specified by the drum identification information.

Further, the drum memory 22 includes a compatible model of the drum cartridge 20, specifications of the drum cartridge 20, information indicating whether the drum cartridge 20 is new or not, information indicating whether the drum cartridge 20 is a genuine product, and a drum. Information indicating whether or not the cartridge 20 is a genuine product, information such as an error history of the drum cartridge 20 may be stored.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the back side of the toner cartridge 30. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the front side of the toner cartridge 30. FIG. 6 is a side view showing one side of the toner cartridge 30 in the first direction. The toner cartridge 30 has a housing 39 capable of accommodating toner as a developer. The four toner cartridges 30 contain toners of different colors (eg, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). The toner cartridge 30 has a developing roller 31. The developing roller 31 is a cylindrical member extending in the first direction. The developing roller 31 is rotatable about a developing axis extending in the first direction. When the toner cartridge 30 is mounted on the drum cartridge 20, the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 21 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller 31. The toner cartridge 30 has a toner memory 32. The toner memory 32 is located on the outer surface of the toner cartridge 30 on one side in the first direction. The toner memory 32 is a memory capable of reading or writing information at least. The toner memory 32 is, for example, a flash ROM or an EEPROM.

The toner memory 32 stores information about the toner cartridge 30. Specifically, the toner memory 32 stores at least one of toner identification information and toner life information. The toner identification information is, for example, a serial number that can identify each toner cartridge 30. The toner life information is, for example, at least one of the cumulative rotation speed of the developing roller 31, the cumulative number of prints using the developing roller 31, and the cumulative number of dots. The cumulative rotation speed of the developing roller 31 is a rotation speed calculated by incrementing or decrementing each printing (job) in one toner cartridge 30 specified by the toner identification information. The cumulative number of prints using the developing roller 31 is the number of prints calculated by incrementing or decrementing each printing (job) in one toner cartridge 30 specified by the toner identification information. The cumulative number of dots using the developing roller 31 is the number of dots calculated by incrementing or decrementing each printing (job) in one toner cartridge 30 specified by the toner identification information.

Further, the toner memory 32 stores information such as a compatible model of the toner cartridge 30, specifications of the toner cartridge 30, information indicating whether or not it is new, information indicating whether or not it is genuine, and error history. You may.

The drum cartridge 20 to which the toner cartridge 30 is mounted is mounted on the main body housing 10 with the cover 11 arranged in the open position. At this time, the drum cartridge 20 to which the toner cartridge 30 is mounted passes through the opening and is inserted into the cartridge holding portion 13. Hereinafter, the state in which the drum cartridge 20 and the toner cartridge 30 are mounted on the main body housing 10 is simply referred to as a “mounted state”.

The four light source units are attached to the inner surface of the cover 11. Each light source unit faces the surface of the photoconductor drum 21 when the drum cartridge 20 is mounted on the main body housing 10 and the cover 11 is in the closed position. Further, each light source unit has a plurality of light sources arranged in the first direction. The light source can irradiate the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 21 with light. The light source is, for example, an LED (light emitting diode).

The light source unit is electrically connected to the control unit 80. The control unit 80 causes a plurality of light sources of the light source unit to emit light according to the input image data. As a result, the light source irradiates the light toward the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 21. As a result, the photosensitive material on the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 21 is exposed according to the image data.

The transfer belt 70 is a belt that can come into contact with the photoconductor drum 21. The transfer belt 70 is annular (endless band). The outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 21 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the transfer belt 70. During the printing process, the printing paper is conveyed between the transfer belt 70 and the photoconductor drum 21. The transfer belt 70 is hung between the driving roller and the driven roller. The drive roller drives the transfer belt 70. The control unit 80 rotates the drive roller. The driven roller rotates according to the movement of the transfer belt 70 accompanying the driving of the driving roller.

The control unit 80 has a dedicated circuit such as an ASIC (application specific semiconductor integrated circuit) and a main body memory. The main body memory is a memory capable of reading or writing information at least. The main body memory is, for example, a flash ROM or an EEPROM.
The main body memory may be located on the control unit 80 or may be located outside the control unit 80.

The control unit may be equipped with a processor such as a CPU instead of the dedicated circuit. In this case, the main body memory may store a computer program for controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. The processor executes various processes according to the computer program stored in the main memory. When the processor executes the process, the image forming apparatus 1 advances the print process and each process associated therewith.

<1-2. Configuration related to electrical connection>
Hereinafter, the electrical connection between the toner memory 32 and the drum memory 22 and the control unit 80 will be described in more detail. As a configuration related to electrical connection, the toner cartridge 30 has an IC chip assembly 38, the drum cartridge 20 has the drum memory 22, and the main body housing 10 has a main body side as a configuration related to electrical connection. It has an electrical contact 90.

<1-2-1. Configuration of drum cartridge>
As shown in FIG. 3, the drum memory 22 is provided on the drum substrate 23. The drum substrate 23 is located on the outer surface of the drum cartridge 20 on one side in the second direction. The drum substrate 23 is located away from the photoconductor drum 21 in the third direction. The drum substrate 23 has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) drum-side electrical contact surfaces 22A on one main surface in the second direction of the outer surface of the drum substrate 23. That is, the plurality of drum-side electrical contact surfaces 22A are located on the outer surface of one side of the drum cartridge 20 in the second direction.
The drum-side electrical contact surface 22A extends substantially perpendicular to the second direction. The drum-side electrical contact surface 22A is a metal surface that is a conductor. Each drum-side electrical contact surface 22A extends along a direction that intersects the first and second directions. The drum-side electrical contact surface 22A is in contact with the electrical contact 35 described later. The drum memory 22 is provided on the main surface on the other side of the drum substrate 23 in the second direction (see FIG. 3).

<1-2-2. Configuration of the image forming device body>
The main body side electrical contact 90 is located on the inner surface of the housing 10. The main body side electrical contacts 90 are a plurality of (four in this embodiment) metal protrusions that project toward the other side in the second direction. The main body-side electrical contact 90 can come into contact with the electrical contact surface 32A provided on the toner substrate 37, which will be described later.

<1-2-3. Configuration of toner cartridge>
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the toner cartridge 30 in a state where the IC chip assembly 38 is disassembled. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the IC chip assembly 38. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the IC chip assembly 38 includes the toner memory 32, a holder 33, a holder cover 34, an electrical contact 35, a wiring 36, and a toner substrate 37.

The holder 33 is a member that holds the toner substrate 37. The toner substrate 37 has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) electrical contact surfaces 32A on one main surface. The electrical contact surface 32A is a metal surface that is a conductor. Each electrical contact surface 32A extends in a direction intersecting the first and second directions. The toner substrate 37 is fixed to the outer surface on one side of the holder 33 in the second direction. As a result, the electrical contact surface 32A of the toner substrate 37 is located on the outer surface on one side of the holder 33 in the second direction. The toner memory 32 is provided on the main surface on the other side of the toner substrate 37.

Each electrical contact surface 32A is electrically connected to the electrical contact 35 via the wiring 36 described later. Further, each electrical contact surface 32A is electrically connected to the toner memory 32. When the toner cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge holding portion 13, the main body-side electrical contact 90 of the image forming apparatus 1 comes into contact with the electrical contact surface 32A of the toner substrate 37. As a result, the image forming apparatus 1 can read at least one of the information from the toner memory 32 and the information written to the toner memory 32.

At least a part of the holder 33 is covered with the holder cover 34 from one side in the first direction. The holder cover 34 is located on the outer surface of one side of the housing 39 in the first direction. The holder 33 has a first boss 33a, a second boss 33b, and a third boss 33c. The first boss 33a extends in the first direction from the surface of the holder 33 opposite to the surface facing the housing 39 toward the holder cover 34. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the holder cover 34 has a first through hole 34a. The first through hole 34a penetrates the holder cover 34 in the first direction. The first boss 33a is inserted into the first through hole 34a.

The second boss 33b and the third boss 33c extend in the first direction from the surface of the holder 33 facing the housing 39 toward the housing 39. The second boss 33b and the third boss 33c are separated from each other in the second direction. The housing 39 has a second recess 16 and a third recess 17. The second recess 16 and the third recess 17 are recessed on the outer surface of the housing 39 on one side in the first direction to the other side in the first direction. The second recess 16 and the third recess 17 are separated in the second direction. The second boss 33b is inserted into the second recess 16. The third boss 33c is inserted into the third recess 17. The shapes of the first boss 33a, the second boss 33b, and the third boss 33c may be a cylinder or a prism.

The size (inner dimension) of the first through hole 34a in the second direction is larger than the size (outer dimension) of the first boss 33a in the second direction. The size (inner dimension) of the second recess 16 in the second direction is larger than the size (outer dimension) of the second boss 33b in the second direction. Further, the size (inner dimension) of the third recess 17 in the second direction is larger than the size (outer dimension) of the third boss 33c in the second direction. Therefore, the holder 33, together with the first boss 33a, the second boss 33b, and the third boss 33c, can move relative to the housing 39 and the holder cover 34 in the second direction. When the holder 33 moves in the second direction, the toner substrate 37 having the electrical contact surface 32A also moves in the second direction together with the holder 33.

Further, the size (inner dimension) of the first through hole 34a in the third direction is larger than the size (outer dimension) of the first boss 33a in the third direction. The size (inner dimension) of the second recess 16 in the third direction is larger than the size (outer dimension) of the second boss 33b in the third direction. Further, the size (inner dimension) of the third recess 17 in the third direction is larger than the size (outer dimension) of the third boss 33c in the third direction. Therefore, the holder 33, together with the first boss 33a, the second boss 33b, and the third boss 33c, can move relative to the housing 39 and the holder cover 34 in the third direction. When the holder 33 moves in the third direction, the toner substrate 37 having the electrical contact surface 32A also moves in the third direction together with the holder 33.

The number of bosses provided on the holder 33 may be one or two, or four or more. Further, the number of through holes provided in the holder cover 34 may be two or more. Further, the number of recesses provided in the housing 10 may be one or three or more. Further, the holder cover 34 may have a recess into which the first boss 33a is inserted instead of the through hole 34a.

As shown in FIG. 8, the holder 33 has a first end portion 710 and a second end portion 720. The first end portion 710 is an end portion on one side of the holder 33 in the second direction. Further, the second end portion 720 is an end portion on the other side of the holder 33 in the second direction. The first end 710 is movable in the second direction with respect to the second end 720. More specifically, the holder 33 has a first member 331, a second member 332, and a coil spring 333 located between them. The first and

second members

331 and 332 are made of, for example, resin. The first member 331 has a first end 710.
The toner substrate 37 is fixed to a holding surface included in the outer surface of the first end portion 710. The second member 332 has a second end 720. In the assembled holder 33, the first end portion 710 and the second end portion 720 are separated from each other in the second direction.

The coil spring 333 is an elastic member extending in the second direction. The coil spring 333 is arranged between the first end portion 710 and the second end portion 720 in the second direction. One end of the coil spring 333 in the second direction is connected to the first member 331. The other end of the coil spring 333 in the second direction is connected to the second member 332. The coil spring 333 expands and contracts in the second direction at least between the first state and the second state which is contracted more than the first state. The length of the coil spring 333 in the second direction in the first state is longer than the length of the coil spring 333 in the second direction in the second state. Therefore, the distance in the second direction between the first end 710 and the second end 720 in the first state is the second direction between the first end 710 and the second end 720 in the second state. Longer than the distance. Further, the length of the coil spring 333 in the second direction at least in the second state is shorter than the natural length of the coil spring 333.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the second member 332 has the first and

second claw portions

332a and 332b. The first and

second claw portions

332a and 332b each project from the second member 332 in a direction intersecting the second direction. The first member 331 has a first groove 331a and a second groove (not shown). The first claw portion 332a is inserted into the first groove 331a. The second claw portion 332b is inserted into the second groove. In the first state, the first claw portion 332a comes into contact with the first member 331 at the edge of the first groove 331a on the second end portion 720 side. Further, in the first state, the second claw portion 332b comes into contact with the first member 331 at the edge of the second groove on the second end portion 720 side. This prevents the length of the coil spring 333 in the first direction from becoming longer than that in the first state. Further, it is prevented that the first member 331 is removed from the second member 332. In the second state, the first claw portion 332a and the second claw portion 332b are separated from the first member 331. In addition, instead of the first groove, a recess or a step which can come into contact with the first claw portion may be provided. Further, the first member 331 may be provided with a claw portion, and the second member 332 may be provided with a groove, a recess or a step.

The toner substrate 37 held by the holder 33 may move in the second direction with respect to the housing 39 due to the dimensional difference between the boss and the through hole or the recess described above and the expansion and contraction of the coil spring 333. It is possible. Therefore, when the toner cartridge 30 mounted on the drum cartridge 20 is mounted on the cartridge holding portion 13, even if there is a slight misalignment, the electrical contact surface 32A of the toner substrate 37 and the main body side The electrical contact 90 can be brought into contact with the electric contact 90 with high accuracy.

The electrical contact 35 is fixed to the outer surface on the other side of the holder 33 in the second direction. That is, the electrical contact 35 is located on the outer surface of the second member 332 on the other side in the second direction. The electrical contacts 35 are a plurality of (four in this embodiment) metal protrusions that project toward the other side in the second direction. The electrical contact 35 is in contact with the drum-side electrical contact surface 22A of the drum substrate 23 when the toner cartridge 30 is attached to the drum cartridge 20.

The wiring 36 connects the electrical contact 35 and the electrical contact surface 32A of the toner substrate 37. Specifically, the wiring 36 includes four wires. The four wires included in the wiring 36 connect the four protrusions of the electrical contact 35 and the four electrical contact surfaces 32A on a one-to-one basis.
When the toner cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge holding portion 13, the four electrical contact surfaces 32A are connected one-to-one with the four protrusions of the main body-side electrical contacts 90. The electrical contact surface 32A is connected to the wiring 36 and is used to extract the information of the toner memory 32 to the main body side as described later.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram schematically showing an electrical connection between the control unit 80, the drum memory 22, and the toner memory 32. As shown in FIG. 9, in the mounted state, the control unit 80, the four toner memories 32, and the four drum memories 22 are connected by a communication line 41, a power supply line 43, a ground line 45, and a clock line 47. .. As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 80 is attached to the main board 81. The drum memory 22 is attached to the drum substrate 23.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes four communication lines 41. Each communication line 41 is a communication line for performing data communication between the control unit 80 and the toner memory 32 and between the control unit 80 and the drum memory 22. Each communication line 41 is electrically connected to the control unit 80. As shown in FIG. 9, each communication line 41 includes a first communication line 411 and a second communication line 412 in the mounted state. The first communication line 411 is a conducting wire portion that electrically connects the control unit 80 and the toner memory 32. Specifically, the first communication line 411 is composed of a conductor provided on the main substrate 81, an electric contact 90 on the main body side, an electrical contact surface 32A of the toner substrate 37, and a conductor provided on the toner substrate 37. It is composed. The second communication line 412 branches from the first communication line 411 and is electrically connected to the drum memory 22. Specifically, the second communication line 412 is provided on the conductor wire provided on the toner substrate 37, the wiring 36, the electrical contact 35, the drum-side electrical contact surface 22A of the drum substrate 23, and the drum substrate 23. It is composed of a lead wire.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a power supply line 43 for supplying power to the drum memory 22 and the toner memory 32. The power supply line 43 extends from the main board 81 and branches into four first power supply lines 431. Each first power supply line 431 is electrically connected to one corresponding toner memory 32 in the mounted state. The power supply line 43 has a second power supply line 432 branched from the first power supply line 431 in the toner substrate 37. The second power supply line 432 is electrically connected to one corresponding drum memory 22 in the mounted state.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a ground wire 45 for inputting a low level to the drum memory 22 and the toner memory 32. The ground wire 45 extends from the main substrate 81 and branches into four first ground wires 451. Each first ground wire 451 is electrically connected to one corresponding toner memory 32 in the mounted state. The ground wire 45 has a second ground wire 452 that branches from the first ground wire 451 on the toner substrate 37, and the second ground wire 452 is electrically connected to one corresponding drum memory 22 in the mounted state. ..

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a clock line 47 for supplying a clock signal to the drum memory 22 and the toner memory 32. The clock line 47 is electrically connected to the control unit 80, extends from the control unit 80, and branches into four first clock lines 471. Each first clock line 471 is connected to one corresponding toner memory 32 in the mounted state. The clock line 47 has a second clock line 472 that branches from the first clock line 471 on the toner substrate 37. The second clock line 472 is connected to one corresponding drum memory 22 in the mounted state.

The drum memory 22 has a first address terminal 221 and the toner memory 32 has a second address terminal 321. The first and

second address terminals

221 and 321 receive high-level or low-level inputs for setting the device address in the mounted state. The first and

second address terminals

221, 321 receive input of different levels of high level and low level in the mounted state.

The drum substrate 23 and the toner substrate 37 each have a pad electrode surface 53. The pad electrode surface 53 of the drum substrate 23 is provided on the other main surface (second main surface) of the outer surface of the drum substrate 23, which is the same surface as the drum memory 22. The pad electrode surface 53 of the toner substrate 37 is also provided on the other main surface (first main surface) of the outer surface of the toner substrate 37, which is the same surface as the toner memory 32.

The first and

second address terminals

221 and 321 are connected to the power supply line 43 via a resistor 51, respectively. Further, the pad electrode surface 53 of the drum substrate 23 is connected to the first address terminal 221 and the pad electrode surface 53 of the toner substrate 37 is connected to the second address terminal 321.

In the mounted state, as shown in FIG. 9, the pad electrode surface 53 of the toner substrate 37 is electrically opened. Therefore, the second address terminal 321 of the toner substrate 37 is connected to the power supply line 43 (specifically, the first power supply line 431) via the resistor 51, so that it is in a pull-up state. Receives input. On the other hand, the pad electrode surface 53 of the drum substrate 23 is connected to the ground 19 of the main body housing 10 in the mounted state. Therefore, a low level is input to the second address terminal 321 of the toner memory 32 instead of a high level. The pad electrode surface 53 of the drum substrate 23 is an example of an external connection electrode connected to the ground 19 in the mounted state.

As described above, in the mounted state, the first address terminal 221 of the drum memory 22 receives the low level input, and the second address terminal 321 of the toner memory 32 receives the high level input. As a result, different device addresses are assigned to the drum memory 22 and the toner memory 32.

The drum memory 22 and the toner memory 32 may be provided with a plurality of address terminals that receive high-level or low-level inputs.

<1-3. Effect>
When the toner cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge holding portion 13 of the main body housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, the electric contact surface 32A of the toner cartridge 30 is brought into contact with the electric contact 90 on the main body side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the toner cartridge 30 is brought into contact with the electric contact surface 32A. The drum-side electrical contact surface 22A of the drum cartridge 20 can be brought into contact with the electrical contact 35 of the toner cartridge 30. As a result, the information of the toner memory 32 is transmitted to the control unit 80 via the electrical contact surface 32A and the electric contact 90 on the main body side, and the information of the drum memory 22 is relayed by the electrical contact surface 32A of the toner memory 32. Then, it is transmitted to the control unit 80 via the wiring 36 and the electric contact 90 on the main body side. As a result, the reading mechanism of the toner memory 32 and the drum memory 22 can be made compact.

In the mounted state, the electrical contact surface 32A of the toner memory 32 contacts the electrical contact 90 on the main body side of the image forming apparatus 1. As a result, both the information from the toner memory 32 of the toner cartridge 30 and the information from the drum memory 22 of the drum cartridge 20 can be transmitted via the electric contact 90 on the main body side of the image forming apparatus 1. ..

In the mounted state, the electrical contact surface 32A of the toner memory 32 contacts the electrical contact 90 on the main body side of the main body housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. The information stored in the drum memory 22 is transmitted from the electrical contact 35 to the electrical contact surface 32A via the wiring 36. As a result, the information from the drum memory 22 can be transmitted to the main body side electric contact 90 via the electric contact 35 and the wiring 36.

The holder 33 is movable with respect to the housing 39. Therefore, even if there is a slight positional deviation between the drum-side electrical contact surface 22A and the electrical contact 35 in the mounted state, the drum-side electrical contact surface 22A and the electrical contact 35 are effectively brought into contact with each other. be able to. Further, even if there is a slight positional deviation between the electric contact surface 32A and the main body side electric contact 90, the electric contact surface 32A and the main body side electric contact 90 can be effectively brought into contact with each other.

As described with reference to FIG. 9, the control unit 80 can communicate with the toner memory 32 and the drum memory 22 via the common first communication line 411. Further, the control unit 80 can selectively communicate with the toner memory 32 and the drum memory 22 by transmitting the device addresses assigned to the toner memory 32 and the drum memory 22 respectively. Therefore, the number of communication lines can be reduced as compared with the case where the control unit 80 and the toner memory 32 and the control unit 80 and the drum memory 22 are each connected by a dedicated communication line. Therefore, the circuit configuration in the image forming apparatus 1 can be simplified.

The first and

second address terminals

221 and 321 are connected to the power supply line 43, but in the mounted state, the first address terminal 221 is connected to the ground 19 via the pad electrode surface 53.
As a result, the input to the first address terminal 221 is switched from the high level to the low level. Therefore, the device addresses of the drum memory 22 and the toner memory 32 can be different.

The pad electrode surface 53 is provided on the outer surface of the drum substrate 23 on the other side of the outer surface opposite to the main surface on one side where the electric contact surface 22A on the drum side is provided. Therefore, the outer surface of the drum substrate 23 can be effectively used.

The drum substrate 23 and the toner substrate 37 can be the same, and the drum memory 22 and the toner memory 32 can be the same. As a result, the parts of the drum cartridge 20 and the toner cartridge 30 can be shared, so that the device cost can be suppressed.

In the image forming apparatus 1, the pad electrode surface 53 of the drum substrate 23 is connected to the ground 19 in the mounted state, so that the low level is input to the first address terminal 221 of the drum memory 22. However, the pad electrode surface 53 of the toner substrate 37 may be connected to the ground 19 in the mounted state. In this case, a low level can be input to the second address terminal 321 of the toner memory 32.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, the pad electrode surface 53 is connected to the ground 19 provided in the main body housing 10. However, the pad electrode surface 53 may be connected to a ground provided in a portion (for example, the housing of the drum cartridge 20) different from the main body housing 10 in the image forming apparatus 1 in the mounted state. ..

<2. Second Embodiment>
Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the following description, elements having the same functions as the elements already described may be designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

In the first embodiment, in the mounted state, the first address terminal 221 of the drum memory 22 is connected to the ground 19 via the pad electrode surface 53 to receive a low level input. However, in other embodiments, a low level may be input to the first address terminal 221.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing an electrical connection between the control unit 80, the drum memory 22, and the toner memory 32 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the second address terminal 321 of the toner memory 32 is connected to the power supply line 43 (specifically, the first power supply line 431) on the toner substrate 37 in the mounted state. Therefore, the second address terminal 321 receives a high level input in the mounted state. On the other hand, the first address terminal 221 of the drum memory 22 is connected to the ground wire 45 (specifically, the second ground wire 452) on the drum substrate 23. Therefore, the first address terminal 221 receives a low level input in the mounted state.

The first address terminal 221 of the drum memory 22 may be connected to the power supply line 43, and the second address terminal 321 of the toner memory 32 may be connected to the ground line 45. In this case, in the mounted state, the input to the first address terminal 221 is at a high level, and the input to the second address terminal 321 is at a low level.

In this way, by electrically connecting the first and

second address terminals

221 and 321 to either the power supply line 43 or the ground line 45, the input levels for the first and

second address terminals

221 and 321 are made different. be able to. As a result, the device addresses of the drum memory 22 and the toner memory 32 can be made different.

In the case of the second embodiment, the pad electrode surface 53 can be omitted from the drum substrate 23 and the toner substrate 37. Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, the configuration in which the pad electrode surface 53 is connected to the ground can be omitted.

<3. Modification example>
Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible.

The drum-side electrical contact surface 22A is immovable with respect to the drum cartridge 20, but may be movable. Further, although the electric contact 90 on the main body side is immovable with respect to the main body housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, it may be movable.

The number of the drum-side electrical contact surfaces 22A included in the drum cartridge 20 is not limited to four, and may be one to three or five or more. The number of electrical contact surfaces 32A included in the toner cartridge 30 is not limited to four, and may be one to three or five or more.

In the above embodiment, one toner cartridge 30 is attached to one drum cartridge 20. However, the drum cartridge may be equipped with four toner cartridges. In this case, there is one drum memory and four toner memories. Further, the image forming apparatus may be a monochrome printer. That is, the image forming apparatus may include one drum cartridge and one toner cartridge.

In the above embodiment, the drum memory 21 and the toner memory 31 have the same configuration, and the device addresses of the respective memories are different so that the control unit 80 can selectively communicate. However, for example, the control unit 80 may selectively communicate with the drum memory 21 and the toner memory 31 by transmitting different access commands to the drum memory 21 and the toner memory 31, respectively. In this case, the control unit 80 may include software so that a plurality of access commands can be transmitted. Further, the drum memory 21 and the toner memory 31 may have different configurations.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, the above description is exemplary in all aspects and the disclosure is not limited thereto. It is understood that a myriad of variants not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The configurations described in the above embodiments and the modifications can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not conflict with each other.

1 Image forming device 10 Main body housing 19 Earth 20 Drum cartridge 21 Photoreceptor drum 22 Drum memory 221 First address terminal 22A Drum side electrical contact surface 23 Drum substrate 30 Toner cartridge 31 Development roller 32 Toner memory 321 Second address terminal 32A Electrical contact surface 37 Toner board 41 Communication line 411 1st communication line 412 2nd communication line 43 Power supply line 431 1st power supply line 432 2nd power supply line 45 Ground line 51 Resistance 53 Pad electrode surface 80 Control unit

Claims

It is an image forming device
The main body housing with the control unit and
A drum cartridge mounted on the main body housing.
Photoreceptor drum and
Drum memory and
The drum board to which the drum memory is mounted and
With a drum cartridge,
A toner cartridge mounted on the drum cartridge.
Toner memory and
The toner substrate to which the toner memory is attached and
Toner cartridge with
A communication line electrically connected to the control unit, in a state where the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing.
A first communication line that electrically connects the control unit and the toner memory, and
A communication line including a second communication line that branches off from the first communication line and is electrically connected to the drum memory.
An image forming apparatus comprising.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
An image forming apparatus, wherein the toner cartridge has a developing roller.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
A first device address is assigned to the drum memory.
An image forming apparatus, wherein the toner memory is assigned a second device address different from the first device address.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.
The drum memory has a first address terminal and has a first address terminal.
The toner memory has a second address terminal and has a second address terminal.
When the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing, the first and second address terminals are characterized in that a high level or a low level for setting a device address is input. , Image forming device.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.
In a state where the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing, a first level, which is either a high level or a low level, is input to the first address terminal, and the second address terminal is used. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that a second level different from the first level, which is a high level or a low level, is input to the image forming apparatus.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5.
A power supply line for supplying power to the toner memory and the drum memory, and
Earth to input low level and
With more
The first and second address terminals are connected to the power supply line via a resistor.
An image forming apparatus, wherein one of the first and second address terminals is connected to the ground while the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6.
An image forming apparatus, characterized in that the ground is provided in the main body housing.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 or 7.
The drum substrate has an external connection electrode connected to the first address terminal, and has an electrode for external connection.
An image forming apparatus, wherein the external connection electrode is connected to the ground when the drum cartridge is mounted on the main body housing.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8.
The outer surface of the drum substrate is
The first main surface and the second main surface on the opposite side of the first main surface,
Have,
The first main surface is provided with an electrical contact surface that is electrically connected to the control unit when the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing.
An image forming apparatus, characterized in that the second main surface is provided with the external connection electrode.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 or 7.
The toner substrate has an external connection electrode connected to the second address terminal, and has an electrode for external connection.
An image forming apparatus, wherein the external connection electrode is connected to the ground when the drum cartridge is mounted on the main body housing.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 10.
The outer surface of the toner substrate is
The first main surface and the second main surface on the opposite side of the first main surface,
Have,
The first main surface is provided with an electrical contact surface that is electrically connected to the control unit when the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge are mounted on the main body housing.
An image forming apparatus, characterized in that the second main surface is provided with the external connection electrode.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 11.
An image forming apparatus, characterized in that the toner memory and the drum memory are the same, and the toner substrate and the drum substrate are the same.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.
A power supply line that is electrically connected to the control unit.
With the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge mounted on the main body housing, the drum memory is branched from the first power supply line and the first power supply line that electrically connect the control unit and the toner memory. The second power line that is electrically connected to
With power lines including
A ground wire that is electrically connected to the control unit.
With the drum cartridge and the toner cartridge mounted on the main body housing, a first ground wire that electrically connects the control unit and the toner memory, and
A second ground wire that branches off from the first ground wire and is electrically connected to the drum memory,
With the ground line including
With more
An image forming apparatus, characterized in that one of the first and second address terminals is connected to the power supply line and the other is connected to the ground line.