Printer and Printing Cassette Drive Engagement for Jam Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The platen roller in a printer may rotate unexpectedly during cassette installation, causing printing tape jams.
Innovation Solution
A printer and printing cassette design that includes a platen roller driven by a driving source via a drive shaft, platen gear, and gear engagement mechanisms, ensuring the driving force is transmitted only when the cassette is mounted, preventing unwanted rotation when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the platen roller is rotationally driven by a driving source, then the printing tape can be conveyed toward the outside of the cassette, but the platen roller may rotate unexpectedly when the cassette is not installed, causing tape jams
Solution Approach 1:
A clutch mechanism is introduced as an intermediary between the driving source and the platen roller. The clutch includes a driven clutch member that engages with the platen roller and a driving clutch member that receives rotational force from the drive shaft. This intermediary mechanism ensures that the platen roller only rotates when the cassette is properly installed and the clutch members are engaged, preventing unexpected rotation and tape jams while maintaining productive tape conveyance capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The clutch mechanism provides dynamic control over the power transmission to the platen roller. When the cassette is not installed, the clutch members are disengaged and the platen roller cannot rotate. When the cassette is installed, the clutch members engage and power transmission is enabled. This dynamic on/off control of the driving force transmission resolves the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the platen roller rotates during cassette installation, then the printing tape can be fed, but the printing tape may be jammed
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch mechanism is designed to engage automatically when the cassette is installed, but the platen roller rotation is controlled to occur only after proper engagement. The driven clutch member is positioned such that it engages with the platen roller only when the cassette is correctly installed, preventing tape jamming during the installation process while enabling smooth operation afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
The clutch mechanism prevents the harmful action of platen roller rotation during cassette installation by designing the engagement geometry so that the driven clutch member does not engage the platen roller until the cassette is properly positioned. This preliminary prevention of harmful rotation eliminates tape jamming risks during installation.
3Productivity
If the driving force is transmitted continuously to the platen roller, then the tape conveyance is efficient, but the platen roller rotates unexpectedly when cassette is not mounted
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch mechanism serves as a conditional intermediary that controls power transmission to the platen roller. It allows efficient tape conveyance when the cassette is mounted by transmitting driving force through the engaged clutch members, while preventing unexpected rotation when the cassette is not mounted by blocking power transmission through the disengaged clutch mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement state of the clutch members changes the parameter of power transmission from blocked to transmitted based on cassette installation status. When the cassette is installed, the clutch members engage and power transmission is enabled, maintaining conveyance efficiency. When not installed, the clutch members are disengaged and power transmission is blocked, preventing harmful rotation.
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
Prevents unexpected platen roller rotation and tape jams by ensuring driving force transmission occurs only when the cassette is properly installed, enhancing operational reliability and flexibility in gear placement.
Implementation Method 1
a drive shaft connected to be driven to the driving source and is rotatable about a rotation axis thereof; a platen gear connected to be driven to the platen roller
Implementation Method 2
a platen gear connected to be driven to the platen roller
Implementation Method 3
a platen roller facing the print head
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes a print head, a platen roller facing the print head, a driving source, a drive shaft connected to be driven to the driving source and rotatable about a rotation axis thereof, a platen gear connected to be driven to the platen roller, and a cassette mounting portion at which the print head and the drive shaft are disposed. A printing cassette including a to-be-printed tape, an input unit, and an output unit connected to be driven to the input unit is mountable on the cassette mounting portion in an axial direction of the rotation axis of the drive shaft. In a state where the printing cassette is mounted on the cassette mounting portion, the drive shaft is engaged with the input unit and the platen gear is engaged with the output unit.