Medium Transport Roller Layout to Reduce Wrinkle Concentration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medium transport devices face issues with wrinkles and creases, particularly in media with low rigidity, due to variations in transport force and direction, leading to concentrated wrinkles that can cause creases in narrow areas.
Innovation Solution
A medium transport device with a main roller and multiple sub-rollers arranged at varying distances, including a first and second distance, to distribute wrinkles and prevent concentration in narrow areas, combined with a wrinkle removal mechanism using flat plates connected at an obtuse angle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If multiple sub-rollers are used to transport the medium, then the transport force is distributed, but wrinkles occur and concentrate in narrow areas between the rollers
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system is segmented into multiple sub-rollers (first, second, third, and n-th rollers) that work in sequence. Each roller applies transport force at different positions along the medium, distributing the overall transport function across multiple contact points to reduce localized stress and wrinkle concentration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different spacing configurations to different regions of the roller system. The first distance between the first and second sub-rollers is intentionally made smaller than the second distance between the second and third sub-rollers. This local variation in spacing creates different transport characteristics in different regions, preventing uniform wrinkle patterns and reducing wrinkle concentration in narrow areas.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the directions of multiple rollers are shifted from each other, then the device structure becomes flexible, but variation occurs in the transport direction causing skew
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric spacing between rollers, where the first distance (between first and second rollers) differs from the second distance (between second and third rollers). This asymmetric arrangement breaks the symmetry that would cause uniform transport variations, thereby reducing skew while maintaining structural flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent addresses transport direction consistency by introducing a temporal dimension through sequential roller engagement. Instead of relying solely on precise spatial alignment of multiple rollers simultaneously, the medium passes through rollers in sequence at different positions, allowing each roller to correct or maintain direction independently, thereby reducing cumulative directional variation.
3Manufacturing precision
If a single continuous roller is used, then parallelism and transport consistency are improved, but the cost is high and it is not easy to obtain parallelism
Solution Approach 1:
The single continuous roller is segmented into multiple discrete sub-rollers that can be independently manufactured and positioned. This segmentation reduces the manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the functional benefits of continuous support through sequential roller engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of roller spacing to optimize performance. By carefully controlling the first distance and second distance between rollers, the system achieves consistent transport without requiring perfect parallelism, thereby reducing manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining transport quality.
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 solution effectively suppresses wrinkle formation and creasing, allowing for smooth processing of media with low rigidity by distributing wrinkles and using a simple structure for removal, ensuring efficient transport and processing.
Implementation Method 1
sub rollers that pair with the main roller to rotate while nipping the medium therebetween
Data Source
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AI summary
The medium transport device 6 includes a feed out section 2 that feeds out the medium 3 that is wound into a roll shape, a main roller 8 that applies a feeding force to the medium in the transport direction F, and sub rollers 9 that pair with the main roller to rotate while nipping the medium therebetween, wherein the sub rollers 9 are a plurality of rollers including a first roller 91, a second roller 92, a third roller 93, ..., and an n-th roller arranged at a distance D from each other along the longitudinal direction of the main roller 8, the distance D includes a first distance D1 and a second distance D2 that is larger than the first distance.