Narrowing Displacement Area to Flatten Curling Media
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Media recorded by inkjet printers using aqueous liquids often curl due to moisture absorption, leading to stacking issues as the curled media may not be properly aligned on stackers, causing contact between subsequent media and preceding media, which can result in improper stacking and increased sliding resistance.
Innovation Solution
A medium processing apparatus with a suction mechanism that suctions the media onto a transporting belt, a rotation mechanism to change the belt's direction for stacking, and a change mechanism that narrows the displacement area between the belt and stacker, allowing for controlled transport and stacking of media to prevent curling and misalignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a suction conveyor is used to transport media from above and drop them on a stacker, then the media can be automatically stacked, but curled media cannot be properly stacked causing misalignment and contact between subsequent media and preceding media
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by flattening the media before stacking through the narrowing mechanism. The displacement area is reduced in the direction opposite to the suction surface, which flattens curled media prior to stacking, ensuring proper alignment when media are dropped on the stacker.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the displacement area changeable. The narrowing mechanism dynamically adjusts the displacement area between the suction conveyor and the stacker, allowing the area to be smaller when media are dropped to prevent misalignment of curled media.
2Ease of operation
If the displacement area between the suction conveyor and stacker is large, then media can be easily transported, but curled media deform further and cannot be properly stacked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively narrowing the displacement area in the direction opposite to the suction surface while maintaining sufficient area for transport. This localized change flattens curled media without compromising the overall transport capability of the suction conveyor.
3Device complexity
If subsequent media are stacked on preceding media without narrowing the displacement area, then stacking is simpler, but the end of subsequent media contacts the preceding media causing improper stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The narrowing mechanism performs preliminary flattening action on curled media before stacking occurs. By reducing the displacement area in the direction opposite to the suction surface, the media are flattened in advance, preventing contact between the end of subsequent media and preceding media during stacking.
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 prevents media deformation and ensures proper stacking by narrowing the displacement area during transport, reducing the risk of media contact and sliding resistance, thus enabling efficient and accurate stacking of media with reduced curling.
Implementation Method 1
a suction mechanism for suctioning a discharged medium to a loop transporting belt
Data Source
AI summary
A suction mechanism for suctioning a loop transporting belt a medium processed by a processing unit, a rotation mechanism for rotating the transporting belt, a stacker for stacking the medium transported by the transporting belt, and a change mechanism for changing a movable area are included. The rotation mechanism, after suctioning the medium to the transporting belt to rotate in a first rotation direction to transport the medium in a first transport direction, rotates the transporting belt in a second rotation direction to transport the medium in a second transport direction to stack the medium on a stacker. The change mechanism narrows a movable area when the medium is transported in the second transport direction compared to an area when the medium is transported in the first transport direction.