Curved Portion Thermal Conductivity Printing Medium Wrinkles
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing printing apparatuses experience wrinkles in the printing medium due to temperature differences between heated and unheated parts, leading to inefficiencies and reduced image quality.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a support portion for heating the medium and a curved portion upstream, formed from a material with lower thermal conductivity than the support, which curves the transport path and maintains a lower temperature than the support portion, thereby reducing thermal-induced wrinkles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the platen is heated to dry the ink, then the ink drying efficiency is improved, but wrinkles occur in the unheated portion of the medium due to temperature difference
Solution Approach 1:
The support portion is divided into two functional segments: a heated platen for ink drying and a non-heated curved portion for maintaining medium flatness. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function without interfering with the other, resolving the contradiction between drying efficiency and medium flatness.
Solution Approach 2:
Different thermal properties are applied to different portions of the support structure. The platen has high thermal conductivity for efficient heat transfer to dry ink, while the curved portion has low thermal conductivity to maintain a temperature gradient and prevent wrinkles in the unheated medium section.
2Reliability
If the medium is heated on the platen, then the ink is dried effectively, but the medium shrinks unevenly causing wrinkles upstream
Solution Approach 1:
The curved portion is positioned upstream of the platen to pre-condition the medium before it reaches the heated area. By maintaining a lower temperature in this upstream section, the medium retains its shape stability and flatness before undergoing the drying process, preventing wrinkle formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved portion acts as an intermediary element between the medium source and the heated platen. It serves as a thermal buffer that prevents excessive heat from affecting the upstream medium section, thereby maintaining shape stability while still allowing effective drying on the platen.
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
The curved portion increases the bending rigidity of the printing medium, suppressing wrinkles and improving printing efficiency by maintaining the medium's flatness during transport and printing, thus enhancing image quality and reducing the need for pre-printing wrinkle elimination.
Implementation Method 1
The curved portion is formed of a member having a lower thermal conductivity than the support portion
Implementation Method 2
a heating portion configured to heat the part of the printing medium supported by the support portion
Implementation Method 3
a part of the medium that is heated on the platen shrinks under the influence of heat
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus includes a support portion configured to support a part of a printing medium to be transported, a heating portion configured to heat the part of the printing medium supported by the support portion, and a curved portion disposed upstream of the support portion in a transport path of the printing medium and including a curved surface that curves the transport path. The curved portion is formed of a member having a lower thermal conductivity than the support portion. In addition, the temperature of the curved portion is lower than the temperature of the support portion.