# US 11,305,547 B2 · Electrical contacts coupled to guide structures

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- Number: US 11,305,547 B2
- Document ID: US11305547B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/047,886
- Filed: 2018-08-30
- Published: 2021-05-27
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-30
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Sean Daniel Fitzgerald; Jeffrey H. Luke; Mathew Lavigne
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305547B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/17526: {Electrical contacts to the cartridge}
- B41J 2/17509: {Whilst mounted in the printer}
- B41J 2/1752: {Mounting within the printer}
- B41J 2/17523: {Ink connection}
- B41J 2/17546: {electronically}
- G03G 15/0863: {provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

In an example, a print component includes a guide structure. The example guide structure includes a recess to receive a print material container and a guideway with a guide wall to support rotation of the print material container. Upon rotation of the print material container, an electrical contact of the print material container moves towards an electrical contact coupled to the guide structure of the print component. In another example, a container includes a housing, a material transfer interface, and a mechanical interface. In that example, the mechanical interface includes a guide structure that defines a protrusion and a guideway to allow the container to rotate within a recess defined by a receptacle shell. Upon rotation of the container, an electrical contact coupled to the guide structure moves towards an electrical contact on the receptacle shell.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A print component comprising:
a guide structure defining:
a recess in a placement direction to receive a print material container having a plurality of electrical contacts;
a guideway adjacent the recess, the guideway including a guide wall to support rotation of the print material container about an axis of the placement direction; and
a lip protruding from a side wall defining a boundary of the recess and spaced apart from a base wall of the recess about a distance substantially equivalent to a width of a rim of the print material container; and
a plurality of electrical contacts coupled to the guide structure and located on the lip facing into the recess, the guideway to guide the plurality of electrical contacts of the print material container to move towards the plurality of electrical contacts of the print component upon rotation of the print material container about the axis of the placement direction,
wherein the rim of the print material container is shaped to be insertable into the recess at a first orientation and rotatable to a second orientation to align the plurality of electrical contacts of the print material container with the plurality of electrical contacts on the print component.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The print component of claim 1, comprising:
a material transfer interface defining a port coupleable to a print material chamber of the print material container.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The print component of claim 2, wherein:
the rotation of the print material container is about an axis of the material transfer interface;
the rotation of the print material container generates an electrical connection between the print material container and the print component; and
the rotation of the print material container generates a seal between the print material container and the print component.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The print component of claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of electrical contacts of the print component are located on a surface of the lip facing the base wall of the recess; and
the plurality of electrical contacts of the print material container are located on a surface of the rim facing away from the base wall of the recess when the print material container is inserted into the recess.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The print component of claim 4, wherein:
the plurality of electrical contacts of the print component are located adjacent to each other on a same side of the side wall of the recess.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The print component of claim 4; wherein:
the plurality of electrical contacts of the print component are located across from each other on substantially opposing side walls of the recess.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The print component of claim 1, wherein:
a number of electrical contacts of the print component is different from a number of electrical contacts of the print material container.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The print component of claim 1, comprising a controller electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical contacts of the print component.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The print component of claim 8, comprising an electrical lead coupled to the controller to provide a signal from the controller.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The print component of claim 9, wherein the controller is to retrieve data from the print material container and provide the retrieved data as the signal from the controller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The print component of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a memory resource.

### Claim 12

A print particle supply container to supply print particles to a print particle receptacle of a host device, the print particle supply container comprising:
a print material chamber;
a material transfer interface including a port coupled to the print material chamber;
a mechanical interface including a guide structure defining:
a first protrusion;
a second protrusion, the second protrusion being symmetrically or asymmetrically located with respect to the first protrusion; and
a guideway to allow the print particle supply container to rotate within a recess defined by a shell associated with the print particle receptacle;
a first electrical contact coupled to the first protrusion of the guide structure, the first electrical contact of the guide structure to move towards a first electrical contact on the shell upon rotation of the print particle supply container; and
a second electrical contact located on the second protrusion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The print particle supply container of claim 12, comprising a channel to transfer print material from the print material chamber to an exterior of the print particle supply container.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The print particle supply container of claim 12, wherein the guideway comprises a neck or a rim of the mechanical interface.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The print particle supply container of claim 12, wherein the mechanical interface includes a housing of the print particle supply container.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The print particle supply container of claim 15, wherein the housing includes at least one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), vinyl, a semi-synthetic organic compound, an organic polymer, metal, plastic, ceramic, glass, or rubber.