Meandering Prediction in Base Material Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image recording apparatuses face challenges in predicting the meandering of elongated strip-shaped base materials during processing, as sensors are often unable to precisely coincide with recording heads due to spatial limitations, leading to suboptimal image quality.
Innovation Solution
A base material processing apparatus that employs a transport mechanism, processing part, and multiple detectors to calculate meandering amounts and coefficients using a model function, allowing for accurate prediction of meandering without detectors at the processing position, by utilizing a reference detector and edge sensors positioned upstream and downstream of the processing area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are disposed in each recording position to detect meandering, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases and space requirements are not met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses upstream and downstream sensors as intermediary measurement points to indirectly determine meandering at the recording position. Instead of placing sensors directly at each recording position, the system employs sensors positioned upstream and downstream of the processing position to detect meandering, then calculates the recording position meandering through coordinate transformation based on the transport path geometry and paper velocity.
2Device complexity
If sensors are disposed upstream and downstream of recording position, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to waveform averaging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary measurement of meandering at upstream and downstream positions, then uses coordinate transformation to predict the meandering state at the recording position. By measuring at known positions upstream and downstream and mathematically transforming these measurements to the recording position coordinates, the system achieves accurate meandering prediction without directly measuring at the recording position itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the measurement parameters from physical sensor positions to calculated coordinates through coordinate transformation. By changing the reference frame and using the relationship between transport distance, paper velocity, and meandering waveform characteristics, the system converts upstream/downstream measurements into accurate recording position meandering predictions.
3Device complexity
If simple averaging of sensor waveforms is used, then calculation complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to amplitude reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces simple arithmetic averaging with a coordinate transformation-based calculation system. Instead of mechanically averaging waveforms (which reduces amplitude), the system uses mathematical transformation that accounts for the spatial relationship between sensors and recording position, preserving the true meandering waveform characteristics and amplitude information needed for precise image recording.
Data Source
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AI summary
A base material processing apparatus detects the amount of widthwise misregistration of a base material in each detection position (Po, and Pa to Pd) lying on a transport path, and then calculates a difference between a detection value in the reference position (Po) and a detection value in each of the remaining detection positions (Pa to Pd) as a meandering amount. Subsequently, the base material processing apparatus determines coefficients obtained when a variation with time in each meandering amount is applied to a predetermined model function, and thereafter calculates coefficients of the model function predicted as the meandering of the base material in each processing position (P1 to P4), based on the determined coefficients and a positional relationship between the reference position (Po), the remaining detection positions (Pa to Pd) and the processing positions (P1 to P4). This achieves the prediction of the meandering of the base material in the processing positions (P1 to P4) with accuracy without any detector disposed in the processing positions (P1 to P4).