Media Roll Holder Assembly With Self-Aligning Oldham Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wide format roll printing, the alignment of drive engaging elements in non-gear based media roll holder assemblies, such as those using Oldham couplings, is cumbersome and reduces productivity due to the need for manual orientation and alignment, especially when dealing with long input rollers.
Innovation Solution
A media roll holder assembly featuring a rotational drive with a roll engaging element and guide surfaces that direct the drive engaging element into a predetermined orientation, allowing easy alignment and insertion without requiring manual orientation, utilizing a first guide surface for support and a second guide surface at an angle to ensure proper alignment of the drive engaging element with the roll engaging element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual alignment of drive engaging element is required, then the coupling mechanism works reliably, but the loading operation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The second guide surface pre-orients the drive engaging element into the correct alignment position before the loading operation is completed. By providing this preliminary alignment action through the inclined guide surface, the system eliminates the need for manual orientation while ensuring the coupling elements are properly aligned for reliable engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide surfaces enable the drive engaging element to self-align and self-orient during the loading process. The inclined second guide surface automatically orients the element as it is moved into position, allowing the loading mechanism to service its own alignment requirements without external manual intervention.
2Reliability
If manual orientation of drive engaging element is required, then the coupling mechanism works reliably, but productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The second guide surface performs the preliminary action of orienting the drive engaging element into the correct position before final engagement. This pre-alignment eliminates the need for slow manual orientation steps, thereby significantly improving loading productivity while maintaining coupling reliability through proper element alignment.
3Ease of operation
If guide surfaces are added to automate alignment, then loading ease is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide surfaces act as intermediary elements that facilitate the alignment between the drive engaging element and the roll engaging element. By introducing these simple guiding structures, the system achieves automated alignment without requiring complex active control mechanisms, motors, or sensors, thus minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A media roll holder assembly for a roll is detachably supported in a printing system. A rotational drive includes a roll engaging element configured for fittingly engaging and driving a drive engaging element of a roller, for example an Oldham coupling. A first guide surface is configured to support and direct the roller in a loading direction. A second guide surface at least partially extends at an angle with respect to the first guide surface, such that movement of the roller over the first guide surface brings the drive engaging element in contact with the second guide surface. The second guide surface directs the drive engaging element into a predetermined orientation, which orientation aligns the drive engaging element with the roll engaging element in a loading orientation, such that further movement of the roller in the loading direction inserts the drive engaging element into the roll engaging element.