Inkjet Feeder Roller Dynamics for Media Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording apparatuses face challenges in quickly and efficiently moving recording media away from a medium supporter without causing wrinkling or cockling, due to the electrostatic holding mechanism which requires increased movement force, leading to poor image quality.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a medium supporter with a first and second roller that cooperate to nip and rotate the recording medium, allowing for quick separation from the supporter's surface, with the first roller being displaceable to project outwards and the second roller adjusting to nip the medium, enabling efficient feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the movement force applied from the drive rollers to the media sheet is increased to quickly separate the media sheet from the platen, then the separation speed is improved, but the media sheet quality deteriorates due to wrinkling or cockling
Solution Approach 1:
The first roller is made displaceable between a projecting position and a non-projecting position, allowing the system to dynamically adjust its configuration. When in the projecting position, the roller protrudes to quickly separate the media sheet from the platen surface, enabling fast separation without requiring excessive force that would cause wrinkling. After separation, the roller returns to the non-projecting position to avoid contact with the media sheet during normal operation, thus preventing quality degradation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the media sheet is held down electrostatically on the platen to stick onto the platen, then the holding stability is improved, but the separation time increases making it difficult to move the media sheet quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The first roller is positioned in the projecting position in advance, ready to immediately separate the media sheet from the platen surface once the electrostatic holding is released. This preliminary positioning of the roller ensures that as soon as the holding stability is no longer needed, the separation action can commence instantly without delay, thus reducing separation time while maintaining holding stability during the printing process.
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 allows for rapid and precise movement of the recording medium, reducing the risk of wrinkling and improving image quality by effectively separating the medium from the supporter's surface while maintaining a stable feeding mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
the first roller projects out from the flat surface of the medium supporter toward the nozzle opening surface of the inkjet head when the first roller is placed in the projecting position
Implementation Method 2
the second roller being displaceable toward and away from the first roller... causing the second roller to be displaced toward the first roller upon placement of the first roller in the projecting position so as to cooperate with the first roller to nip the recording medium
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet recording apparatus includes: (a) a medium supporter; (b) an inkjet head; and (c) a medium feeder including a first roller and a second roller for cooperating with each other to nip the recording medium, for thereby feeding a recording medium outwardly of the medium supporter. The first roller is displaceable between a projecting position and a non-projecting position, such that the first roller projects out from the medium supporter when being placed in the projecting position. The inkjet recording apparatus further includes (d) a feeder controller configured to control the medium feeder, for causing the second roller to be displaced toward the first roller upon placement of the first roller in the projecting position so as to cooperate with the first roller to nip the recording medium, and causing the first roller and/or the second roller to be rotated, whereby the recording medium is fed outwardly of the medium supporter while the recording medium is being at least partially separated from the medium supporter by the placement of the first roller in the projecting position.