Print Medium Guide Section for Curl Lift Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face challenges in controlling and suppressing the lift of curled print media, which can lead to contact with the printhead, causing printing errors and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus is designed with a conveyance unit, a printing unit, a platen section, a regulation unit, and a guide section. The guide section includes a first declined section, a second declined section, and an inclined section, which work together to control the height position of the print medium and guide it to prevent lift. The regulation unit, positioned downstream of the printing unit, further regulates the height position of the print medium from above.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the print medium is conveyed through the printhead area, then printing can be performed, but the curled print medium may lift and contact the printhead causing printing errors
Solution Approach 1:
The guide section is configured to preliminarily control the height position of the print medium before it reaches the printhead area. The first declined section reduces the height from the platen surface, the second declined section further reduces it, and the inclined section adjusts it again, ensuring the medium follows a controlled path that prevents lifting and contact with the printhead during conveyance
Solution Approach 2:
The guide section is divided into multiple segmented sections (first declined section, second declined section, and inclined section) with different slope characteristics. Each section independently contributes to controlling the height position at different stages of conveyance, allowing precise management of the print medium's trajectory through the printhead area
2Device complexity
If a simple guide structure is used, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to control lift position is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The guide section is divided into multiple segmented sections (first declined section, second declined section, and inclined section) with different slope characteristics. Each section independently contributes to controlling the height position at different stages of conveyance, allowing precise management of the print medium's trajectory
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the guide section have locally optimized slope characteristics tailored to specific control needs. The first declined section has a steeper slope for initial height reduction, the second declined section has a moderate slope for continued control, and the inclined section provides final adjustment, ensuring precise lift position control throughout the conveyance path
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a printing unit, a platen section facing the printing unit, a regulation unit arranged on a downstream side of the printing unit in the conveyance direction and configured to regulate a height position of the print medium, and a guide section arranged on a downstream side of the platen section. The guide section includes a first declined section, a second declined section arranged on the downstream side of the first declined section in the conveyance direction, and an inclined section inclined from the second declined section to the downstream side in the conveyance direction. A declination of the second declined section is more moderate than that of the first declined section, and the regulation unit faces the guide section.