Adjustable Dancer Arm Tension Control for Printing Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printers that use a dancer bar to control media tension during printing face challenges in maintaining consistent tension, especially when dealing with deformations caused by high temperatures or humidity, which can lead to uneven printing quality.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of adjustable dancer arms with moveable weights and a controller system that uses fiducial markers to detect deformations, allowing for real-time adjustments to the tension by altering the net moment acting on the dancer arms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dancer bar is used to control media tension during printing, then the media can be rolled appropriately onto the output spindle, but the tension becomes inconsistent when media deformations occur due to high temperatures or humidity
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that detect the position of the dancer arm and provide feedback to a controller. The controller adjusts the braking force applied to the input spindle based on this feedback, enabling real-time compensation for media deformations and maintaining consistent tension throughout the printing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the braking force parameter applied to the input spindle in response to detected media deformations. By adjusting this parameter based on real-time conditions, the system maintains optimal tension despite variations in media properties caused by temperature and humidity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the braking force on the input spindle is increased to maintain tension, then media deformation is reduced, but the risk of media breakage and printing errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback mechanism continuously monitors dancer arm position and adjusts the braking force to optimal levels. This prevents excessive braking that could cause media breakage while maintaining sufficient tension to prevent deformation and ensure printing quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The braking force is made dynamic rather than static, allowing the system to adapt to changing media conditions. The controller modulates the braking force in real-time based on actual tension requirements, avoiding both excessive force that causes breakage and insufficient force that causes deformation.
3Ease of operation
If manual adjustment of dancer arm position is used to control tension, then simple control is achieved, but real-time compensation for media deformations is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-adjustment through automated feedback control. The sensors and controller work together to automatically adjust the braking force without requiring manual intervention, combining the simplicity of automated control with the capability for real-time compensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical adjustment system is replaced with an automated electronic control system. Sensors detect dancer arm position and the controller electronically adjusts the braking force, substituting manual mechanical operation with automated electromechanical control that provides both simplicity and real-time capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively maintains consistent media tension, reduces deformations, and enhances printing quality by allowing for precise adjustments based on real-time deformation detection.
Implementation Method 1
Tension exerted on the media during printing is determined by the net moment acting on the dancer arm that is resisted by the media as it advances through the printer
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a method of controlling tension of a media during printing. The media is tensioned by supporting a dancer bar coupled at a first end to a first dancer arm which moves about a first pivot. The tension is provided by resisting a net moment acting on the first dancer arm. The method comprises applying a first setting force to the first dancer arm to set the net moment acting on the first dancer arm and adjusting the first setting force to alter the net moment acting on the first dancer arm.