Printer Carriage Motor and Gear Overlap for Compact Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printers, especially mobile-type printers, face challenges in reducing size due to the dimensions occupied by carriage drive motors, transport motors, drive mechanisms, and connection sections, which hinder further miniaturization.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves locating at least a portion of the carriage drive motor and power transmission mechanism at the same position in the movement direction, vertically, or intersecting with it, and integrating the connection section in a way that these components do not independently add to the apparatus's dimensions, thereby reducing the overall size by overlapping their spatial requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If carriage drive motor, transport motor, drive mechanism, and connection section are arranged separately, then each component can be properly positioned and function, but the overall apparatus dimension increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the carriage drive motor and power transmission mechanism into the same spatial region by positioning at least a portion of the carriage drive motor and at least a portion of the power transmission mechanism at the same position in the movement direction of the carriage. This overlapping arrangement allows these components to share the same space rather than requiring separate regions, thereby reducing the overall apparatus dimension while maintaining proper component positioning and function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement by positioning components at the same position in the movement direction of the carriage, effectively using vertical or depth dimension overlap. This dimensional approach allows the carriage drive motor and power transmission mechanism to coexist in the same footprint area, transforming a two-dimensional layout problem into a three-dimensional space-efficient configuration
2Volume of moving object
If connection section is arranged on rear surface or side surface, then external power supply can be connected, but apparatus width dimension increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the connection section with other existing components by positioning it at the same position as the carriage drive motor or power transmission mechanism. This overlapping arrangement allows the connection section to share space with these components rather than requiring additional width, thereby reducing apparatus width while maintaining adaptability for external power supply connection
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes a carriage which includes an ink jet recording head and is movable in a first direction and a second direction that is an opposite direction to the first direction, a gear group which transmits power of a motor to a sheet transporter, a transporter drive motor which transmits power to the gear group, and a carriage drive motor which drives the carriage. At least a portion of the carriage drive motor and at least a portion of the gear group are at the same position as each other in a movement direction (x direction) of the carriage.