Customer replacement unit memory contact unit pressured according to movement of tray in an image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10180654-B2
Application number	US-201715656299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2017
Priority date	Nov 9, 2016
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a main body; a tray for a toner cartridge slidably coupled to the main body and configured to be pushed into and pulled out from the main body; a lever hinge-coupled to a portion of the tray for the toner cartridge and configured to rotate through a push-in/pull-out operation of the tray; a link member hinge-coupled to a portion of the lever and configured to move to a push-in/pull-out direction of the tray through rotation of the lever and simultaneously to perform pressure and pressure release on at least one customer replacement unit memory (CRUM) contact unit located in an inside of the main body; and a support frame configured to elastically support the CRUM contact unit to a direction that a photosensitive drum provided in the toner cartridge is spaced from an image transfer unit located in the main body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body;
a tray, slidably coupled to the main body, to receive a toner cartridge and be pushed into the main body by a push-in operation and pulled out from the main body by a pull-out operation;
a lever, hinge-coupled to the tray, to rotate in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction according to the push-in operation of the tray and the pull-out operation of the tray, respectively;
a support frame to elastically support a customer replacement unit memory (CRUM) contact unit; and
a link member, hinge-coupled to the lever, to move in a direction of the push-in operation of the tray and in a direction of the pull-out operation of the tray according to the rotation of the lever to apply and release pressure on the CRUM contact unit supported by the support frame.

2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tray includes a push rib to apply pressure to a first portion of the lever in the push-in operation of the tray.

3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the tray further includes an auxiliary push rib to apply pressure to the first portion of the lever in the pull-out operation of the tray, and
the auxiliary push rib is located to be spaced apart from the push rib and is located closer to the CRUM contact unit than the push rib.

4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the auxiliary push rib is formed to have an upper end height smaller than that of the push rib so that an upper end of the auxiliary push rib remains clear of the tray as the tray is moved in the push-in operation of the tray.

5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the main body further includes a first side frame, and
the lever is hinge-coupled to the first side frame and is elastically coupled to the first side frame through an elastic member.

6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a first end of the elastic member is fixed to the lever and a second end of the elastic member is fixed to the first side frame so that an elastic force is applied to the lever in the direction of the push-in operation of the tray and the direction of the pull-out operation of the tray.

7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the elastic member is located in the lever hinge-coupled to the first side frame.

8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the link member includes at least one cam protrusion to apply pressure to at least one guide protrusion which protrudes from the CRUM contact unit, and
the cam protrusion includes an inclined cam end portion which is in contact with the at least one guide protrusion.

9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a handle rotatably coupled to the tray; and
a latch in which the tray is to move along an inner side thereof according to a rotation of the handle, and including a front-end that selectively protrudes toward an outside of the tray.

10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the front-end of the latch protrudes such that the lever contacts the front-end.

11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein
the handle is in contact with the latch, and
the front-end of the latch protrudes toward an outer side of the tray in response to the handle being rotated in a first handle rotation direction and moves toward an inner side of the tray in response to the handle being rotated in a second handle rotation direction.

12. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the latch is elastically supported in a protruding direction of the latch by an elastic member.

13. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a handle rotatably coupled to the tray;
a movable lever, located in a side of the tray, to rotate with the handle;
a first guide member to move according to the rotation of the movable lever; and
a second guide member fixed to an image transfer unit of the image forming apparatus,
wherein the tray is selectively raised according to the movement of the first guide member.

14. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the first guide member is located to slidably move along a lower end of the tray.

15. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the first and second guide members respectively include first and second guide protrusions which are in contact with each other.

16. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the first and second guide protrusions include inclined portions inclined in directions opposite to each other.

17. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body;
a tray, slidably coupled to the main body, to receive a toner cartridge and be pushed into the main body by a push-in operation and pulled out from the main body by a pull-out operation; and
an interlocking unit, elastically coupled to the main body by an elastic member, to apply and release pressure on a customer replacement unit memory (CRUM) contact unit according to the push-in operation of the tray and the pull-out operation of the tray, respectively,
wherein the CRUM contact unit is lowered by the interlocking unit to electrically couple the CRUM contact unit to the toner cartridge in the push-in operation of the tray and is raised by an elastic force to release the electrical coupling to the toner cartridge in the pull-out operation of the tray.

18. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the elastic member includes at least one of a tension spring, torsion spring, or compression spring.

19. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body;
a tray slidably, coupled to the main body, to receive a toner cartridge and be pushed into the main body by a push-in operation and pulled out from the main body by a pull-out operation; and
an interlocking unit to receive pressure from a handle disposed in the tray and a latch interlocked to the handle and to apply and release pressure on a customer replacement unit memory (CRUM) contact unit according to the push-in operation of the tray and the pull-out operation of the tray, respectively,
wherein
the CRUM contact unit is lowered by the interlocking unit to electrically couple the CRUM contact unit to the toner cartridge in the push-in operation of the tray and is raised by an elastic force to release the electrical coupling to the toner cartridge in the pull-out operation of the tray.

20. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body;
a tray slidably, coupled to the main body, to receive a toner cartridge and be pushed into the main body by a push-in operation and pulled out from the main body by a pull-out operation; and
an interlocking unit to apply and release pressure on a customer replacement unit memory (CRUM) contact unit according to the push-in operation of the tray and the pull-out operation of the tray, respectively,
wherein
the CRUM contact unit is lowered by the interlocking unit to electrically couple the CRUM contact unit to the toner cartridge in the push-in operation of the tray and is raised by an elastic force to release the electrical coupling to the toner cartridge in the pull-out operation of the tray,
the tray includes first and second guide members to allow a photosensitive drum of the toner cartridge to be in contact with an image transfer unit and to be separated from the image transfer u

Assignees

• S Printing Solution Co Ltd
• Hp Printing Korea Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Mintae

Classifications

• G03G21/1623

  Means to access the interior of the apparatus · CPC title

• G03G21/1853

  the process cartridge being mounted perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive member · CPC title

• G03G21/1633

  using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1885

  position of the memory; memory housings; electrodes · CPC title

• G03G2221/166

  Electrical connectors · CPC title