Linerless Label Printer Blade Gap Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing label printers using carrierless labels face issues with adhesive residue on cutting blades, leading to reduced cutting performance and increased costs due to the need for specialized adhesive patterns or oil treatment, and limitations in label size and paper efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a label printer with a cutting device having two blades that move apart to create a gap with the label strip after printing, preventing adhesive residue and allowing for precise cutting at any point without oil treatment, enabling efficient label separation and reduced paper waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If continuous adhesive is applied to linerless label tape, then label adhesion is improved, but cutting blade performance deteriorates due to adhesive residue accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a take-up roller as an intermediary element between the cutting blades and the label tape. This roller with increased diameter causes the label tape to bend around it, creating a gap that prevents adhesive from reaching the cutting blades while maintaining continuous adhesive application for proper label adhesion.
2Reliability
If adhesive breaks are introduced to enable cutting, then cutting performance is improved, but label paper cost increases and label size becomes predetermined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cutting function from the label paper design itself and relocates it to the take-up roller mechanism. By removing the need for pre-defined adhesive breaks in the label paper, continuous adhesive application can be used, reducing manufacturing costs and allowing flexible label sizing while maintaining reliable cutting performance through the mechanical gap creation.
3Reliability
If blades are coated with oil to prevent sticking, then cutting performance is maintained, but product contamination occurs and customer safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of adhesive contact with blades into a beneficial mechanical solution. Instead of using oil coating that contaminates products, the take-up roller creates a physical gap that prevents adhesive contact entirely, eliminating contamination risks while maintaining cutting performance through the geometric design rather than chemical treatment.
4Productivity
If label tape is continuously fed through cutting device, then printing efficiency is improved, but adhesive accumulates on blades reducing cutting precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic geometry through the take-up roller with increased diameter, creating a variable gap between the label tape and cutting blades during operation. This dynamic configuration allows continuous high-speed feeding for improved productivity while the geometric relationship ensures adhesive never contacts the blades, maintaining cutting precision without requiring speed reductions or blade maintenance interruptions.
Data Source
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Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The method for printing and separating linerless labels for a label printer (1), which comprises a printing unit (2), a holder (6) for the linerless label tape (7), a cutting device (3) with at least two blades (4, 5) arranged on each side of the linerless label tape (7), and a feed unit (8'), performs at least the following steps. The linerless label tape (7) is advanced by the feed unit (8) through the printing unit (2) and through the cutting device (3). During this advancement, the linerless label tape (7) is partially printed by the printing unit (2). Once printing is complete, the printed linerless label (9) is separated from the linerless label tape (7) by the blades (4) moving together. The blades (4, 5) then move apart, returning them to a starting position for further separation.According to the invention, before the blades (4, 5) are moved apart, the carrierless label tape (7) is retracted from the blades (4, 5). This creates a gap between the carrierless label tape (7) and the blades (4, 5).